IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


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10X  14X  18X  22X 


y 


12X 


16X 


20X 


26X 


SOX 


24X 


28X 


32X 


itails 
s  du 
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filmage. 


>s 


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shall  contain  the  symbol  — •►  (meaning  "CON- 
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method: 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
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par  le  premier  pla    et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
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plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film^s  en  commengant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — »-  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  otc,  peuvent  §tre 
film6s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  film6  d  partir 
de  Tangle  sup6rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  ^  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m^thode. 


errata 

I  to 

t 

>  pelure, 

on  d 


n 


1 

2 

3 

32X 


r  ^ 

It 

3 

4 

S 

6 

I 


THE 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY 


AND 


THE    COLONIZATION    OF    NEW    ENGLAND 


LIFE  AND  WRITINGS  OF 

JOHN   ALFRED   POOR 


KDITKI)    I!V 


LAURA    ELIZABETH    POOR 


"rEACE    IIATlI    HEk    VICTORIES 
NO    LESS   RENOWNED   THAN    WAR" 


G.    P.    PUTNAM'S    SONS 


NEW     YORK 


n   WEST   TWHNTV-T„,KD   STKK.BT  ,,,    hB„        "'""'''"''^ 


<fl)e  inithrrbochfr  {.Irrss 
1892 


FOKU   STREET,  STRAND 


i  P^ 


2  6  7112 


COPVRIOHT   BV 

LAURA    ELIZAHETH   POOR 

i38y 


Cbe  ftnichcrboclicr  prcos,  Hew  SJorR 

Electrotypcd  and  Printed  hy 
G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons 


"Imagination  is,  in  the  popular  mind,  obstinately  connected 
with  poetry  and  romance.     When  the  attempt  is  made  to  ex- 
tend the  application  of  the  creative  energy  of  the  imagination 
to  business  and  politics,  the  sentimental  outcry  against  such  a 
profanation  of  the   term   becomes   almost  deafening      Evjry 
poetaster  is  willing  to  admit  that  Newton  is  one  of  the  few 
grand  scientific  discoverers  that  the  world  has  produced  ;  but 
he  still  thinks  that,  in  virtue  of  versifying  some  commonplaces 
of  emotion   and  thought,   he  is    himself  superior  to  Newton 
in  imagination.     In  fact,  it  is  the  direciion  given  to  the  crea- 
tive faculty,  and  not  the  material  on  which  it  works,  that  dis- 
criminates  between  Fulton  and  Jkyant,  Whitney  and  Long- 
fellow, Bigelow    and    Whittier,  Goodyear   and    Lowell.     De- 
scending from  the  inventors,  it  would  be  easy  to  show  that,  in 
the  conduct  of  the  every-day  transactions  of  life,  more  quick- 
ness of  imagination,  subtlety  and  breadth  of  understanding. 
and  energy  of  will  have  been  displayed  by  our  men  of  business 
than  by  our  authors," 

— E.  P.  Whipple,  on  American  Literature. 


M      < 


4 


■a     i 


T 


CONTENTS. 


The  Life  ok  John  Alfred  Poor , 

List  OK  PuiiMSHED  Writings  .  .  .  .  .  136 
First  Article  on  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Atlantic 

Railway.  For  the  "  Sheriirooke  Gazette  "  .142 
First  Article  on  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence 

Railway.  For  the  "  Portland  Advertiser  "  .147 
Plan  kor  Shortening  the  Time  ok  Passa(;e  between 

New  York  and  London    .  ,r. 

.  154 

The  Northeastern  Boundary.  Report  ok  the  Se- 
LPXT  Committee  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives       

An    American    Zoll-Verein.     Letter    to   the   Ship 
Canal  Convention 

The   Transcontinental   Railway.     Address    Deliv 
ered  at  Rutland,  Vermont,  June,  1869 

A  National  Highway.  Memorial  to  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States 264 

A  Bill  to  Secure  Cheap  Transportation  ok  Bread- 
stuffs  AT  Uniform  Rates  ....        .        275 

The  Father  of  English  Colonization  in  America  :  a 
Vindication  of  the  Claims  ok  Sir  Ferdinando 
Gorges.  Delivered  hkkore  the  Historical  So- 
cieties OK  Maine  and  New  York,  1859  .         .         .282 

The  First  Colonization  of  New  England.  An  Ad- 
dress Delivered  at  Fort  Popham,  Maine,  1862     .  353 

Appendix 

•        •        •        •        •        •        •         -397 


176 


211 


218 


I   i 


.Mii 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 

The  following  pages  will  try  to  dopict  a  hero 
of  coninien  e.  Mr.  Poor'n  name  is  well  known,  yet 
few  persons  have  any  adetpiate  idea  of  the  toil 
which  filled  up  and  sliortened  his  years;  of  the 
vastness  of  the  schemes  carried  out  by  his  instru- 
mentality ;  and  of  the  patriotism  which  imi.elled 
him  to  devote  his  life  to  that  cause  which  he  per- 
petually pursued,  and  which  underlaid  his  every 
thought.  Mr.  Poor's  opinions  and  character  can 
best  be  show^n  from  his  writings;  yet  his  writings 
serve  only  to  illustrate  his  actions.  More  than  with 
most  men,  his  thoughts  and  his  deeds  went  together  ; 
it  is  impossible  to  separate  tlitm.  The  simplest 
narrative  therefore  will  connect  them,  and  show 
the  gradual  but  steady  development,  till  the  day  of 
his  death,  of  the  ideas  which  had  inspired  his  youth. 

Although  IVIr.  Poor  was  considered  to  have  the 
genius  of  a  worker,  and  really  wrote  only  to 
express  his  conception  of  what  should  be  done,  few 
professedly  literary  men  can  show  a  st\]e  of  more 
force  and  clearness.  When  he  leaves  his  marshalling 


F/RS T  INTERNA  TfOXA  f.  RA /L II  A  V. 


of  hard  factH  jind  ^iven  free  })luy  to  liis  iinairiimtion 
and  (Mithusiasiii,  his  Htutely  HtMitciicen  are  not  im- 
wortliy  of  that  Webster  wlioso  style  he  ho  nuieh 
admired. 

FroTii  a  list  of  his  published  writiriu^s  a  seleetioii 
has  l)eeii  made,  as  they  involve  necessarily  some 
repetitions;  but  the  list  itself  is  far  from  complete. 
Mr.  Poor  himself  said  :  "  The  list  herewith  submitted 
em])raees  only  such  papers  as  contain  oriij^inal  sug- 
gestions, or  the  record  of  imj)ortant  pi-oceedings. 
The  bulk  of  my  writings  have  been  occasional  con- 
tributions to  tlie  newspapers  of  Portland,  Hangor, 
Montreal,  Washington,  Boston,  and  the  lower  British 
Provinces,  advocating  the  various  measures  in  which 
I  liave  been  engaged."  In  addition  to  this  Mr.  Poor 
edited,  for  six  years,  the  daily  newspa[)er  which  he 
owned,  and  there  are  few  of  its  issues  whi(!h  do  not 
contain  some  article  by  him  ;  and  liimself  di'ew  up 
the  different  railway  bills  presented  by  him  to  Con- 
gress, and  the  Legislatures  of  Maine  and  Massa- 
chusetts. 

"  William  the  Con(pieror's  third  and  youngest  son 
Prince  Ileniy,  was  rather  snubbed  by  his  older 
brothers,  and  lived  a  jovial  life  in  Normandy.  One 
morning,  as  he  was  riding  at  the  head  of  his  mounted 
men-at-arms,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city  of  Caen,  he 
approached  a  small  chapel — of  the  Roman  Catholic 
faith,  of  course  —  just  as  its  bell  rang  forth  the  call, 
to  matin  prayers.  The  gay  yet  devout  young  pnnce 
halted  his  men,  dismounted,  and  entered  the  humble 
sanctuary,  where  the  parish  priest,  a  gaunt,  spare 
man,  known  as  Father  Roger,  at  once  recognized  him. 


pniition 

not  iiii- 

M>  itiiich 

scloctioii 
ly  some 
omplete. 
ihmitttHl 
iiml  sug- 
L'ccdiiigH. 
oiial  con- 
Hiuigor, 
ir  Hriti.sli 
ill  M  liicli 
Mr.  Poor 
v^bicli  lie 
•li  do  not 
drow  lip 
II  to  Coii- 
Massa- 

iiijest  son 
lis  older 
ly.  One 
mouuted 
C'Mn\,  lie 
Catholic 
the  call, 
:ig  pnnce 
himible 
nt,  spare 
ized  him- 


T//F.  LIFE  OF  JO/LV  ALFRED  POOR.  3 

Tlie  pri<'st,  recollecting  douhtlcss  that  soldierH  do  not 
like  I()ng  prayers,  and  l)eing,  i)erhaps,  himself  more 
anxious  for  favor  on  earth  than  in  heaven,  despatched 
the  morning  service  with  extraordinary  rapidity. 
*  Whereat,'  says  the  liistorian,  *  they  were  so  well 
pleased  that  the  jjrince  said  to  him,  "  Follow  my 
camp,"  wliich  he  <Iid.'  Soon  afterwards  the  prince 
went  to  England  to  join  his  brother,  King  William 
Rufus,  and  he  took  the  Caen  j)riest  as  his  chaplain. 
On  crossing  the  Channel,  *n'ery  Norman  assumed  a 
surname,  and  the  lean  chaplain  becam*  Roger  Poor. 
The  nomenclature  of  that  day  was  ba'=«t  d,  as  in  this 
case,  on  i)ersonal  characteristics  or  '  »cal  habit?'' !,)ns. 
The  families  of  Short,  Long,  Black,  W^itc,  Brown, 
Ciia},  and  Head,  with  many  others,  thus  obtained 
their  surnames. 

"In  the  year  1100,  King  William  liufiis,  while 
hunting  in  the  New  Forest,  wjis  accidentally  killed 
by  an  arrow  which  was  fired  at  a  buck,  but  which 
glanced  from  a  tree  and  pierced  the  monarch's  heart. 
His  younger  brother.  Prince  Henry,  who  was  hunt- 
ing with  him,  no  sooner  \vitnessed  his  death,  than  he 
hastened  to  London  anu  seated  himself  on  the  throne 
of  England,  regardless  of  the  claims  of  the  elder 
brother,  Duke  llobert,  who  was  making  love  in  Italy. 

"  Roger  Poor  thus  became  his  Majesty's  chaplain. 
He  kept  up  his  Norman  I'eputation  for  short  prayers, 
and  soon  became  such  a  favorite  that  the  king  made 
him  his  private  secretary,  although  the  historians 
say — alas,  that  I  must  repeat  it  in  this  presence — 
'he  was  rather  illiterate.'  As  a  courtier,  hov.ever, 
Roger  Poor  excelled,  and  he  was  generally  liked, 


..ji 


Is^U--.,.-..  _-.-.-iJ  iJJS 


I ; 


1 1 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


altboiigli  perhaps  not  much  respected.  His  faculties 
expanded  with  his  good  fortune,  and  while  exercising 
his  religious  duties  he  supported  the  ro^al  preroga- 
tive with  such  zeal,  and  displayed  such  submission 
to  the  royal  will  that  King  Henry  appointed  him 
Bishop  of  S.irum. 

"  Bishop  Roger  Poor  was  in  due  time  promoted 
to  the  office  of  Chief  Justiciar,  or  Lord  High  Chan- 
cellor, which  made  him  in  reality  Prime  Minister, 
and  during  the  king's  visits  to  Normandy,  sometimes 
extending  over  a  year,  he  governed  England  as 
regent.  Up  to  this  time  the  crown  of  England  had 
only  descended  in  the  male  line,  for  although  Queen 
Boadicea  had  ruled  over  the  Britons,  no  female  had 
ever  sat  on  the  Anglo-Saxon  throne.  Bishop  Roger 
Poor  (to  please  King  Heniy,  who  had  no  legitimate 
sons,  and  who  desired  to  leave  his  crown  to  his 
daughter  Matilda)  laid  it  down  as  incontrovertible 
doctrine  '  that  the  crown,  like  a  private  inheritance, 
should  descend  to  the  daughter  of  the  person  last 
seized.'  He  was  also  greatly  instrumental  in  ob- 
taining from  the  barons  of  England,  as  well  as  those 
of  Normandy,  a  recognition  of  the  Princess  Matilda 
as  the  successor  to  her  father  in  both  countries. 
Under  this  decree,  promulgated  by  Bishop  Poor, 
Queen  Victoria  now  occupies  the  English  throne, 
and  it  was  the  origin  of  what  are  now  tenned 
'  Woman's  Rights.' 

To  the  favor  of  King  Henry,  Bishop  Roger  Poor 
owed  a  privilege,  eagerly  coveted  by  the  turbulent 
nt)bility  of  the  times,  when  the  consequence  of  indi- 
viduals was  estimated  by  the  strength  and  splendor 


y. 

faculties 
sercising 
preroga- 
bmissioQ 
ited  Mm 

)romoted 
r\i  Chan- 
Minister, 
ometimes 
o-land   as 
jland  had 
>h  Queen 
male  had 
op  Roger 
egitimate 
n  to  his 
overtible 
eritance, 
son  last 
al  in  ob- 
as  those 
Matilda 
countries, 
op   Poor, 
throne, 
teiTned 

)ger  Poor 
;urbulent 
;e  of  indi- 
splendor 


Tff£  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.  5 

of  their  fortified  residences.  He  built  a  castle  at 
Devizes,  which  was  considered  as  one  of  the  most 
sumptuous  and  stately  edifices  in  England ;  and  a 
second  at  Sherborne,  little  inferior ;  and  he  repaired 
the  castle  of  Sarum,  which  was  entrusted  to  his  cus- 
tody. He  al8o  expended  large  sums  in  completing 
and  emliellishing  the  cathedral  of  Sarum,  which  had 
been  injured  by  a  storm  soon  after  its  dedication. 
Indeed  some  of  the  old  English  chroniclei's  distin- 
guish him  by  the  title  of  'the  great  builder  of 
churches  and  castles.' 

"  In  addition  to  Bishop  Roger  Poor's  vast  wealth, 
which  flowed  from  his  numerous  places  and  prefer- 
ments, his  great  influence  enal>led  him  to  bring  from 
Normandy  several  of  his  relations,  and  to  obtain  for 
them  honorable  positions.  One  of  his  nephews, 
Alexander,  was  first  made  Archdeacon  of  Sarum, 
next  Chancellor,  and  finally,  in  1123,  Bishop  of 
Lincoln.  Another  nephew,  Nigellus,  was  appointed 
a  prebend  in  the  chuich  of  St.  Paul's,  and,  in  1183, 
Bishop  of  Ely.  King  Henry,  late  in  life,  (piarrelled 
with  Bishop  Roger  Poor,  and  dismissed  him  from 
civil  office.  For  this  the  bishop  i-evenged  himself 
after  the  king's  death  in  1135,  Ijy  forgetting  his 
sworn  allegiance  to  the  Princess  Matilda,  and  aiding 
in  giving  the  crown  to  Stephen,  Earl  of  Blois.  He 
defended  himself  l)y  asserting  that  circumstances 
had  changed,  but  that  he  remained  consistent  to  his 
principles,  and  he  was  rewarded  by  a  restoration  to 
his  position  as  Chief  Justiciar.  The  Bishop  of  Ely, 
his  nephew,  was  appointed  Treasurer  of  the  realm, 
and  his  son,  Roger  Poor,  was  made  Chancellor. 


■i 

I 


)    I 


'    ,'[ 


11 


m 


6  •  FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

"  King  Stephen  also  gave  Bishop  Roger  Poor  ex- 
tensive landed  possessions,  yielding  large  revenues, 
and  when  asked  by  an  attendant  if  he  was  not  dis- 
playing too  much  generosity  towards  his  favorite, 
the  monarch  replied :  '  By  the  Nativity,  I  would 
give  him  half  of  England  if  he  had  asked  for  it. 
He  shh,ll  sooner  be  tired  of  asking  than  I  of  giving.' 
The  bishop  obtained  a  grant  of  the  burgh  of  Malmes- 
bury,  and  displayed  his  characteristic  fondness  for 
building  by  commencing  a  stately  castle  there,  like 
those  at  Devizes  and  Sherborne. 

"Foi'tune — fickle  jade, — after  a  long  attendance 
on  Bishop  Poor,  at  last  deserted  him,  and  pierced 
him  vdth  scorpion's  sting. 

"  King  Stephen's  Jealousy  was  inflamed  V>y  the  in- 
sinuation of  some  of  his  courtiers,  and  he  determined 
to  stop  the  further  erection  of  the  castles  which  were 
being  erected  all  over  England,  commencing  with 
that  of  Bishop  Poor  at  Malmsbury.  Summoning 
the  bishop  to  a  great  council  at  Oxfoixl,  he  received 
him  with  mai'ked  respect,  but  his  retinue  was 
involved  in  a  quarrel  with  the  attendants  of  the 
Earl  of  Brittany,  in  which  one  of  the  latter  was 
killed  and  another  dangerously  wounded.  This 
affray  was  made  the  pretext  for  ordering  Bishop 
Poor  and  his  connections  to  deliver  up  their  castles. 
They  complied,  with  the  exception  of  Nigellus  Poor, 
Bishop  of  Ely,  who  fled  to  the  castle  of  Devizes,  and 
prepared  for  resistance. 

"  Enraged  at  this  contumacy,  King  Stephen  mai'ched 
with  a  body  of  troops  to  Devizes,  carrying  with  him 
Bishop  Poor  and  his  son  as  prisoners.   Bishop  Nigel- 


I        ■! 


w» 


't>or  ex- 
venues, 
Qot  dis- 
avorite, 
would 
for  it. 
giving; 
^lalmes- 
less  for 
jre,  like 

endance 
pierced 

f  the  in- 
ermined 
cb  were 
[ig  with 
imoning 
eceived 
ue    was 
of  the 
ter  was 
This 
Bishop 
castles, 
us  Poor, 
Izes,  and 

mai'ched 
ith  liini 
p  Nigel- 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.  7 

lus,  refusing  to  surrender,  King  Stephen  ordered  a 
gallows  to  be  erected,  and  informed  Bishop  Roger 
Poor  that  his  son  Roger,  to  whom  he  was  much 
attached,  should  be  hung  unless  the  castle  was  sur- 
rendered to  Lim.  The  aged  prelate  sujiplicated  for 
mercy,  and  with  difficulty  prevailed  upon  his  nephew 
to  open  the  gates  of  the  castle.  The  bishop's  sacred 
office  protected  him  from  violence,  but  the  treasures 
which  he  had  accumulated  during  long  yeai-s  of  pros- 
perity were  seized  by  King  Stephen,  and  the  old  man 
sank  under  his  troubles,  dying  in  December,  1139 — 
an  example  of  that  instability  of  power  and  caprice  of 
fortune  which  Shakesjieare  has  so  feelingly  described. 

"Alexander  Poor,  Bishop  of  Lincoln,  succeeded 
his  uncle  as  Lord  Chancellor,  but  died  when  on  a 
mission  to  the  Pope  in  1147.  The  great  seal  was  then 
entrusted  to  Bishop  Roger  Poor's  son  Roger,  who 
possessed  neither  the  ability  nor  the  pliancy  of  his 
father.  Taking  part  with  the  barons  who  held  out 
their  castles  against  the  king,  he  was  made  prisoner, 
and  refused  to  take  the  oath  of  submission,  even 
when  threatened  with  the  penalties  of  treason.  As 
a  singular  favor  he  was  allowed  to  abjure  the  realm, 
and  he  died  in  exile. 

"  Another  nephew  of  Bishop  Roger  Poor,  Richard 
Poor,  located  himself  in  Gloucestershire,  and  brought 
up  three  sons,  Herbert,  Richard,  and  Philip.  The 
two  fii-st  named  were  educated  for  the  Church,  and 
were  advanced  by  old  friends  of  their  great  uncle, 
Bishop  Roger. 

"Herbert  Poor  was  made  Archdeacoi:  of  Can- 
terbury, and   in  1194   was  consecrated   Bishop  of 


'i!^ 


if! 


8 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


Sarum.  In  1194  he  appears  on  the  rolls  as  one 
of  the  king's  justices,  and  in  1199  he  attended  at 
the  coronation  of  King  John.  He  had  great  trouble, 
however,  at  Sarum,  the  soldiers  of  the  garrison  not 
agreeing  with  the  priests  at  the  cathedral. 

"  Bishop  Richard  Poor,  brother  of  his  predecessor, 
was  first  Dean  of  Sarum,  consecrated  Bishop  of  Chi- 
chester in  1215,  and  removed  to  Sarum  in  1217.  His 
first  care  was  to  have  the  new  cathedral  at  Salisbuiy 
commenced,  and  the  stately  Gothic  pile  soon  rose  in 
all  its  fair  proportions.  In  unity  of  design  and  as  a 
specimen  of  old  English  ecclesiastical  architecture,  it 
is  unequalled,  and  its  elegant  spire,  406  feet  high, 
the  loftiest  in  England,  though  added  in  the  reign  of 
Edward  the  Third,  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  the 
rest  of  the  edifice. 

"  Bishop  Richard  Poor  was  translated  to  the  see  of 
Durham  before  the  cathedral  was  completed.  '  He 
was,'  says  Godwin,  '•  a  man  of  rare  learning  in  those 
times,  and  of  notable  integrity  for  his  life  and  con- 
versation.' Matthew  Paris  says  that  perceiving  the 
approach  of  death  he  caused  the  people  to  be 
assembled,  and  from  the  pulpit  addressed  them  in  a 
pious  discourse,  desiring  them  to  mark  well  his  ex- 
hortations, as  he  was  shortly  to  be  taken  from  them. 
The  next  day  he  did  the  same,  bidding  them  farewell, 
and  requesting  the  prayers  and  forgiveness  of  those 
whom  he  had  offended.  The  third  day  he  sent  for 
his  particular  acquaintances ;  and  calling  together  his 
family  and  servants,  distributed  among  them  his  last 
benefactions.  He  then  tenderly  dismissed  each  indi- 
vidual, and  having  arranged  his  temporal  afllairs,  be- 


i  ' 


,*Sf 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


as  one 
ided  at 
Touble, 
3on  not 

eceasor, 
of  Chi- 
L7.  His 
ilisbuiy 
rose  in 
ind  as  a 
cture,  it 
it  high, 
reign  of 
,'ith  the 

le  see  of 
1.  'He 
in  those 
nd  con- 
ing the 

to  be 
em  in  a 

his  ex- 
n  them, 
ai-ewell, 
f  those 
lent  for 
ther  his 
his  List 
ch  indi- 
airs,  be- 


took himself  to  prayer,  in  which  act  of  devotion  he 
gave  np  the  ghost,  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  April,  1237. 

"  Salisbury  Cathedral  contains  the  monument  of 
Bishop  Roger  Poor,  brought  from  Sarum,  and  of 
Bishop  Richard  Poor.  In  the  library  are  manu- 
scripts of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  transcribed 
under  the  auspices  of  Bishop  Poor,  and  also  his 
seal.  Philip  Poor  of  Amesbury,  from  ^^■hom  I 
believe  that  we  are  all  descended,  was  the  brother 
of  Bishops  Herbert  and  Richard  Poor,  and  the  Poors 
still  live  in  Wiltshire." 

The  preceding  account  of  the  rise  of  the  family 
was  made  by  Major  Ben:  Perley  Poore  for  a 
gathering  of  the  Poors  at  Newburyport,  Massachu- 
setts. The  name  of  the  three  bishops  is  Poor  on  their 
tombstones  at  Salisbury  Cathedral  ;  but  a  Roger 
obtained  the  title  of  Sir  Roger  le  Poer ;  settled  in 
Ireland ;  from  him  descended  the  family  name  of 
tlie  Marquis  of  Waterford,  De  le  Poer.  From  the 
county  of  Hampshire  and  the  town  of  Andover, 
Daniel  Poor,  a  Puritan,  came  to  New  England  in 
1638.  His  name  is  on  the  town  records  of  Andover, 
Massachusetts ;  and  for  nearly  two  hundred  years 
the  Pooi-s  lived  and  died  in  Essex  County,  Massa- 
chusetts. Finally  the  land  grew  too  straitened  for 
them,  and  in  1790  three  brothers  of  the  name  went 
down  into  the  wilderness  of  Maine.  In  a  beautiful 
mountain  valley  in  the  northern  part  of  what  is  now 
Oxford  County,  Maine,  they  found  Deacon  Ezekiel 
Merrill,  its  first  settler,  descendant  of  Nathaniel  Mei'- 
rill,  who  came  to  Ipswich,  Massachusetts,  from  England 
in  1633.     The  Poors  joined  him ;  a  few  other  families 


10 


FIJiST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 


'It 


m 


followed ;  all  men  of  force  and  also  of  an  intelligence 
and  education  far  above  those  of  the  average  pioneer; 
and  all  of  pure  English  stock.  The  town  received 
the  name  of  East  Andover ;  which  it  retained  till 
the  separation  of  Maine  fi'om  Massachusetts  in  1820. 

It  seems  impossible  that  only  a  hundred  years 
have  passed  since  the  conditions  described  by  Mr. 
Poor,  as  follows : 

"Died,  in  Andover,  Me.,  in  1848,  Sarah  Merrill, 
relict  of  the  late  Deacon  Ezekiel  Merrill,  aged  ninety- 
three  years  and  eight  months.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Moses  Emery,  of  Newbuiy,  Mass.,  and  was  born 
1753  ;  at  nineteen,  married,  and  soon  after  with  her 
husband  united  with  the  church  in  thei'*  native 
place.  Apprehensive,  with  others  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  sea-coast,  of  the  danger  to  which  the  out- 
break of  the  American  Revolution  exposed  them, 
they  removed  to  Pelham,  N.  H.,  where  they 
lived  until  after  the  peace  of  1783.  As  their 
pecuniary  means  had  become  reduced,  they  con- 
cluded to  remove  to  Maine,  where  land  was  cheap  ; 
and  in  March,  1788,  with  seven  children — the  eldest 
a  son  fourteen  years  old,  the  youngest  a  daughter 
about  four — they  started  for  Sudbuiy-Canada,  now 
Bethel.  At  Fryburg  their  road  terminated.  There 
Mr.  Mei'rill  employed  men  with  snow-shoes,  and  six- 
teen sleds  drawn  by  their  own  hands,  to  carry  the 
family  and  movable  articles  to  Sudbury-Canada,  a 
distance  of  about  thirty  miles.  There  was  then  no 
house  or  inhabitant  on  their  route.  They  threw  up  a 
camp  for  the  night  about  midway  between  Fryburg 
and  Bethel;  and  the  second  day  reached  the  fii*st 


i 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         ii 

house.  In  tliia  place  they  remained  about  fifteen 
months,  when  with  a  small  company  in  Andover, 
Mass.,  he  became  a  purchaser  from  Massachusetts 
of  the  township  on  Ellis  River,  now  called  Andover. 
From  their  I'esidence  in  Sudbury-Canada  to  this  place 
the  distance  was  about  thirteen  miles  by  land,  and 
three  times  as  far  by  water. 

"  Having  procured  boats  of  the  Indians,  in  the 
month  of  May,  1789,  the  family,  nine  in  all,  em- 
barked and  sailed  easily  down  the  Androscoggin  to 
the  mouth  of  Ellis  River,  whence  they  stemmed  the 
current.  They  supped  and  rested  f(.)r  the  night 
under  a  large  pine.  Early  the  next  morning  they 
re-embarked,  and  proceeded  up  the  river  to  the 
Forks,  where  they  were  received  by  some  Indian 
families,  from  whom  they  had  procured  their  boats, 
into  their  cabins,  and  treated  with  much  hospitality 
for  the  night. 

"  The  vear  before,  Mr.  Merrill  and  his  sons  had 
felled  some  trees,  and  made  a  slight  camp  about  two 
miles  from  the  Indian  cabins.  The  third  morning, 
Mrs.  Merrill  with  one  son  and  a  guide  walked  thi'ough 
the  woods  to  this  place,  and  the  other  children  in  the 
boat  were  pushed  up  the  stream  against  the  camp. 
It  was  towards  noon,  and  they  now  prepared  what  has 
been  called  their  Thanksgiving  Dinner.  Their  pres- 
ent situation  is  thus  described  : 

"  '  The  cabin  they  had  built  was  so  small  that  very 
little  could  be  put  into  it;  therefore  some  of  the 
men  felled  a  few  trees  and  stripi)ed  off  the  bark; 
they  set  up  four  crotched  stakes,  and  laid  on  sap- 
lings, and  spread  bark  overhead  so  as  to  keeji  off  sun 


.1    .-, 


xa 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IVA  Y. 


and  I'ain.  Under  this  shelter  they  put  the  articles 
which  the  weather  would  injure.  They  then  drove 
stakes  into  the  ground,  and  laid  wicker  brush  for 
their  bed-steads,  to  keep  their  beds  from  the  ground, 
— they  having  no  floor,  and  there  being  no  boards 
nearer  than  twenty-five  railes,  nor  any  road  by  which 
they  could  be  brought.  The  children  pulled  up  the 
small  bushes,  and  wet  and  trod  the  ground  so  as  to 
make  it  hard.  This  finished  the  third  day  from  Bethel. 
The  next  day  their  companions  from  Bethel  returned.' 

"They  soon  sowed  some  grain,  and  planted  some 
potatoes ;  after  which  they  built  a  log-house,  con- 
taining one  room ;  this  they  covered  with  bark,  and 
made  doors  of  bark,  and  laid  round  saplings  overhead 
for  chamber  floor.  They  were  now  twelve  miles 
from  any  white  inhabitants  ;  they,  however,  received 
great  kindness  from  the  Indians ;  not  only  in  supplies 
of  food  from  their  hunting,  but  especially  when  the 
next  year,  in  July,  1790,  in  this  solitude,  another 
daughter  was  added  to  the  family. 

"In  the  year  1791  many  beginnings  of  settlements 
were  made  by  proprietors.  The  next  year  one  more 
family  came  into  town ;  and  in  1793-4  three  or  four 
females.  In  May  of  1793  their  oldest  daughter,  not 
fifteen  years  old,  was  married.  In  October  of  the 
same  year  their  house  and  most  of  its  contents  were 
burned.  The  children  sleeping  overhead  were 
awakened  by  the  fire  in  thr  roof,  and  barely  escaped, 
losing  all  but  the  clothes  in  which  they  slept.  This 
was  a  heavy  loss  ;  they  were  able,  however,  to  erect 
a  frame  house  before  winter, — a  saw-mill  having  been 
erected  a  year  or  two  earlier, — and  thenceforward, 


ijX  been 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         13 

with  their  neighbors,  now  becoming  more  numerous, 
adv^anced  in  general  prosperity.  A  church  was 
formed  in  1800  ;  the  town  was  incorporated  by  the 
name  of  East  Andover  in  1804." 

The  second  of  these  brothers,  Dr.  Silvanus  Poor 
married  Mary,  tlie  daughter  of  Ezekiel  Merrill.  She 
was  a  woman  of  uncommon  beauty;  of  an  active, 
cheerful  temperament,  full  of  sensitiveness  and  sweet- 
ness ;  and  had  been  educated  at  Fryburg,  the  well- 
known  school.  Dr.  Poor  was  a  man  of  good  educa- 
tion; a  strong  and  independent  thinker;  Amiinian 
in  theology;  a  Jefferson  democrat  in  politics;  a 
stern  man,  with  a  certain  grim  humor  and  immense 
powers  of  sarcasm.  He  was  a  member  of  the  con- 
vention which  framed  the  constitution  of  Maine; 
his  mental  power  was  recognized  by  all  who  came  in 
contact  with  him,  but  an  indolent  temperament  pre- 
vented his  making  the  full  use  of  his  abilities.  He 
was,  at  the  same  time,  physician  and  farmer ;  for 
many  years  postmaster,  the  books  of  the  Social  Li- 
braiy  were  kept  at  his  house;  the  relatives  and 
friends  who  came  and;tvent,  kept  up  connection  with 
the  outside  world. 

John  Alfred  Poor,  their  second  son,  was  boni  Jan- 
uary 8,  1808.  He  passed  his  childhood  at  home; 
when  he  was  twelve  years  of  age,  the  family  received 
a  visit  from  his  aunt  who  had  married  Hon.  Jacob 
McGaw,  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College,  and  a 
lifelong  friend  and  correspondent  of  Daniel  Webster. 
Mrs.  McGaw  was  a  person  of  great  beauty,  vivacity, 
and  social  talent,  the  "  Miss  Poor  "  who  is  alluded  to 
in  Mr.  Webster's  published  correspondence. 


pi 

i 


j- 


14 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


11 


Mr.  AVebster  came  to  East  Andover  to  see  her, 
and  his  visit  is  still  remembered.  As  darkness  came 
on,  he  found  himself  far  from  Ins  destination,  and 
rode  up  to  the  nearest  farmhouse  to  ask  a  lodging 
for  the  night ;  but  the  good  woman  of  the  house 
took  him  for  a  highway  robber,  and  shut  the  door  in 
his  face ;  and  he  was  obliged  to  drive  three  miles 
farther  until  he  reached  Dr.  Poor's  liouse. 

The  boy  Alfred  was  so  beautiful  and  intelligent 
that  his  uncle  invited  him  to  go  to  Bangor,  Maine. 
Upon  his  way  he  8to[)ped  at  Belfast,  Maine,  to  visit 
his  uncle,  a  clever  physician,  and  there  for  tlie  first 
time,  he  saw  the  ocean  ;  it  was  an  epoch  in  his  life. 
He  often  alluded  to  it,  and  nearly  fifty  years  after- 
wards spoke  of  it,  in  an  oration  delivered  at  Belfast. 
"  I  was  brought  up  among  the  grandest  mountain 
scenery  of  New  England;  but  my  heart  panted  for 
a  sight  of  the  ocean,  whose  sublimer  aspects  and  mys- 
terious revels  had  been  pictured  to  my  youthful 
mind  by  stories  of  travellers  and  descriptions  in  the 
impassioned  language  of  poetry  ;  and  when,  a  boy  of 
twelve,  I  fii'st  beheld,  in  the  clear  sunlight  of  a  win- 
ter morning,  the  outstretching  waters  of  Belfast  Bay 
embosomed  by  its  surrounding  hills  and  distant 
islands,  I  experienced  all  those  sublime  emotions  of 
delight  that  Wordsworth  has  recorded  in  the  finest 
of  his  poems.  *  The  Wanderer,'  as  enjoyed  by  the 
young  herdsman,  when  on  the  top  of  the  high  moun- 
tain 

"  *  He  beheld  the  sun 
Rise  up,  and  bathe  the  world  in  light !    He  looked — 
Ocean  and  earth,  the  solid  frame  of  earth 


1 


I 


/. 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         15 


see  her, 
(ss  came 
ion,  and 
lodging 
e  house 
!  door  in 
ee  miles 

telligent 
[•,  Maine. 
!,  to  visit 
the  first 
L  his  life, 
irs  after- 
b  Belfast, 
mountain 
anted  for 
and  mys- 
youthful 
ns  in  the 
,  a  boy  of 
of  a  win- 
If  ast  Bay 
distant 
lotions  of 
the  finest 
;d  by  the 
gh  moun- 


oked — 


i 


i 


And  ocean's  liquid  mass,  beneath  liim  lay 

In  gladness  and  deep  joy.     The  clouds  were  touched 

And  in  their  silent  faces  did  he  read 

Unutterable  love.     Sound  needed  none, 

Nor  any  voice  of  joy  ;  his  spirit  drank 

The  spectacle  ;  sensation,  soul,  and  form 

All  melted  into  him  ;  they  swallowed  up 

His  animal  being  ;  in  them  did  he  live 

And  by  them  did  he  live  ;  they  were  his  life. 

In  such  access  of  mind,  in  such  high  hour 

Of  visitation  from  the  living  God, 

Thought  was  not ;  in  enjoyment  it  expired.' 

"  This  first  visit  to  the  seaside  influenced,  no 
doubt,  my  whole  life,  made  me  fond  of  adventure 
on  the  ocean,  eager  for  geographical  knowledge,  and 
studious  of  those  agencies  that  stimulate  commercial 
progress.  I  love  the  ocean  with  almost  filial  devo- 
tion, and  without  a  daily  sight  of  it  I  am  never  fully 
satisfied  and  contented." 

Mr.  Poor  paid  another  visit,  which  impressed  him 
permanently,  to  Dr.  Vaughan,  of  Hallowell,  a  friend 
of  Dr.  Silvanus  Poor.  This  learned  man  was  born 
in  Jamaica,  educated  at  Cambridge,  and  studied 
medicine  in  Edinburgh.  His  political  opinions  were 
so  radical  that  he  was  forced  to  leave  England  at  the 
time  of  the  French  Revolution,  went  first  to  France, 
thence  to  Maine.  Here  Mr.  Poor  saw  for  the  first 
time  a  noble  private  library. 

After  two  years  at  the  Academy,  he  returned  to 
Andover,  where  his  work  upon  the  fanii  was  varied 
by  occasional  terais  of  school  and  steady  study  with 
his  brother-in-law,  Rev.  Thomas  T.  Stone,  of  An- 
dover,  pastor   of  the    Congregational   church  ;    he 


i6 


F/UST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


taught  Hcliool  for  one  winter  at  Betliel,  Maine. 
W'lienover  the  farmer's  team  went  to  Porthmd  for 
fiiipplieM,  it  waH  driven  hy  liiin.  Mr.  Poor  distinetly 
recollected  the  first  time  he  tasted  licjuor:  on  his 
way  home,  one  cold  winter's  nitjht,  a  ^i-own  man 
gave  him  "something  to  keep  him  warm."  Mr.  Poor 
never  touched  tobacco  in  any  form  in  his  wliole  life ; 
although  he  might  drink  ale  or  wine  on  occasions, 
lie  did  not  even  take  wine  regularly  at  dinner.  Un- 
doubtedly he  owed  to  those  Andover  years  the 
splendid  physical  vigor  which  stood  him  in  such 
good  stead  throughout  his  laborious  life.  During 
these  Andover  years  the  a})pointment  of  cadet  at 
West  Point  was  offered  to  him,  but  declined  at  his 
mother's  ui'gent  recpiest. 

Finally,  Mr.  Poor  decided  upon  his  plan  of  life. 
On  the  5th  of  September,  1827,  he  left  Andover, 
returned  to  Bangor  to  study  law,  and  entered  the 
office  of  his  uncle,  Mr.  McGaw,  who  was  at  that  time 
the  president  of  the  Penobscot  bar.  Mr.  Poor's 
earliest  writings  date  from  this  period.  They  are : 
an  account  of  Andov^er,  furnished  for  Mr.  William- 
son's "History  of  Maine,"  which  was  so  full  and 
accurate  that  he  received  the  thanks  of  the  historian ; 
a  Report  of  the  Committee  of  the  Young  Men's 
Lyceum  against  Nullification;  a  lecture  delivered 
before  the  Bangor  Lyceum  upon  the  Advantages  of 
Debating  Societies ;  a  lecture  on  Temperance ;  and, 
strangely  enough,  an  elaborate  paper  delivered  before 
the  Lyceum  upon  the  Theory  of  the  British  Gov- 
ernment, and  the  Constitution  of  the  British  Colo- 
nies, showing  how  early  he  was  impressed  with  the 


.i 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOIIX  ALFRED  I'OOIi. 


17 


Maine, 
iiul  for 
stiiK'tly 

on  hirt 
vn  iniiii 
tr.  Poor 
ole  life ; 
•casi(»iii^, 
ir.  Un- 
?ai'H  the 
in  Hucli 

During 
cadet  at 
(I  at  his 

1  of  life. 
Andover, 
;ere(l  the 
that  time 
Poor's 
hey  are : 
William- 
full  and 
listorian ; 
g  Men's 
delivered 
,ntages  of 
Ince;  and, 
ed  before 
ish  Gov- 
ish  Colo- 
with  the 


subjt't't  h«'  afterwards  developed  I'jiglish  eoloiiiza- 
tion. 

On  his  twenty-fourth  l)iit]iday,  Mr.  Po«)r  was 
ndiiiitted  to  the  bar.  Mi".  MeGaw  ))roi)osed  a  i)ai't- 
iiership  on  e(iual  terms  with  himself,  but  Mr.  Poor 
preferred  to  Itej^in  his  professional  life  alone.  lie 
I'emoved  to  Oldtown,  twelve  miles  above  Bangor, 
entered  at  once  upon  a  lucrative  practice,  though  his 
active  mind  took  hold  of  tlui  needs  about  him. 

The  renmant  of  the  tribe  of  the  Penobscot  Indians 
was  living  upon  an  island  near  Oldtown,  and  one  of 
tiiem,  n:i  <  1  Pol  Susof  (Paul  Jo8e[)h),  had  shown 
some  talent  for  art.  Mr.  Poor  became  interested  in 
him.  Ill  coiiiH'ction  witli  some  voung  men  of  Pangor, 
he  sent  the  young  Indian  to  Pangor  to  study  paint- 
ing with  a  profes.^ional  artist.  Mr.  Poor  wrote  an 
acccnmt  of  him  which  was  made  the  basis  of  a 
flowery  article  by  Mrs.  Child,  the  editor  of  the 
Juvenile  Miscellain/.  But  civilization  had  no  real 
hold  upon  Pol  Susof;  lie  soim  returned  to  liis  Indian 
friends,  leaving  one  or  two  paintings  behind  him, 
and  could  never  be  induced  to  leave  Oldtown  aijain. 
For  some  time  the  Indians  had  been  without  a  pi'iest 
at  Oldtown  Island,  and  as  they  expressed  a  great 
desire  for  the  services  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
Mr.  Poor  wrote  on  their  behalf  to  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic Bisliop  of  Boston.  Accordingly  Bishop  Fenwick 
of  Boston  sent  a  priest  to  the  Indians,  and  a  letter  of 
thanks  to  Mr.  Poor. 

But,  in  eight  months,  Mr.  Poor  returned  to  Bangor, 
where  he  married,  in  1833,  Elizabeth  Adams  Hill, 
eldest  daughter  of  Hon.  Thomas   Adams   Hill,  a 


H 


'h' 


w 


\i  I 


i8 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


prominent  lawyer,  candidate  for  Governor  of  the 
anti-masonic  party,  and  a  nephew  of  tlie  celebrated 
Hannah  Adams.  Mr.  Poor  formed  a  law  partnership 
with  hi^  uncle,  Mr.  McGaw,  continued  till  that  gen- 
tleman retired  from  practice.  He  then  formed  a 
partnership  with  his  youngest  brother,  Henry  Var- 
num  Poor,  Esq.,  a  graduate  of  Bowdoin  College. 

A  short  but  admirable  biography  of  Mr.  Poor  was 
written  by  Charles  W.  Tuttle,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  and 
published  in  the  Historical  and  Genealogical  Itegii^- 
ter  of  October,  1872,  and  of  this  memorial  we  shall 
make  as  much  use  as  possible.  Mr.  Tuttle  says  : 
"  During  the  fourteen  years  he  was  at  the  bar  in 
Bangor  he  earned  the  reputation  of  being  a  sound 
lawyer  and  a  public-spirited  citizen.  His  practice 
was  large,  and  extended  to  all  branches  of  the  law. 
Among  the  notable  causes  in  which  he  was  retained 
was  the  suit  of  Veazie  vs.  Wadleigh,  involving  title 
to  valuable  lands  and  water-power  on  the  Penobscot. 
This  suit  attracted  a  good  deal  of  public  attention  at 
the  time,  not  only  on  accoiuit  of  the  parties  inter- 
ested, and  the  matter  in  issue,  but  of  the  great  emi- 
nence of  the  counsel  engaged.  Daniel  Webster  was 
opposed  by  Jeremiah  Mason,  the  then  acknowledged 
heads  of  the  bar  in  New  England.  Mr.  Poor,  wdio 
was  associated  with  Mr.  Webster  as  Junior  counsel, 
prepared  the  history  of  the  legal  title  to  the  disputed 
territory  with  so  much  completeness  that  Mr.  Web- 
ster personally  complimented  him  for  the  work. 
This  was  in  1835,  only  three  years  after  his  admis- 
sion to  practice."  Mr.  Poor  felt  the  enthusiastic 
admiration  which  Mr.  Webster  knew  so  well  how  to 


i^P 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         19 


I-  of  the 
:»lebrated 
rtnersliip 
bliat  gen- 
[ormed  a 
iiiiy  Var- 
llege. 
Poor  was 
,&ton,  and 
cal  Regi^- 
1  we  shall 
ttle  says  : 
he  bar  in 
r  a  sound 
L8  practice 
»f  the  law. 
IS  retained 
)lving  title 
Penobscot, 
ttention  at 
rties  inter- 
great  enii- 
ebster  was 
nowledged 
Poor,  who 
lor  counsel, 
e  disputed 
t  Mr.  AVeb- 
the   work, 
his  admis- 
enthusiastic 
^ell  how  to 


inspire,  and  often  spoke,  in  later  years,  of  the  pro- 
found impression  made  upon  him  by  Mr.  Webster. 
"  I  was  awed,"  he  said,  "  and  felt  myself  in  the  j)res- 
ence  of  a  great  man."  Mr.  Poor  wrote  an  enthusi- 
astic account  of  Mr.  Webster's  visit  to  Bangor,  which 
was  published ;  and  supported  Mr.  Webster  for  the 
Presidency  in  1852,  for  Mr.  Poor  loved  his  friends. 

Bangor  was  at  that  time  a  new  and  flourishi'jg 
town,  full  of  commercial  and  also  of  literary  activity. 
A  theological  seminary  supplied  the  scholarly  ele- 
ment which  is  usually  wanting  in  such  towns.  Mr. 
Poor  shared  in  all  the  movements  of  an  American 
town  ;  he  was  a  member  of  the  city  government ;  he 
gave  both  time  and  money  towards  church  building 
at  Bangor,  Oldtown,  and  Hampden  :  he  took  a  very 
prominent  part  in  forming  the  Bangor  Lyceum,  a 
literary  and  debating  society,  and  the  Bangor  Social 
Library.     In  one  of  his  first  letters  from  Montreal, 

dated  February  17,  1845,  he  says  :  "  Tell that 

I  have  catalogues  from  the  Pencinian  and  Athenieum 
societies  at  Brunswick,  the  Athenaeum  at  Portland, 
the  great  library  in  Canada,  and  some  others,  and  I 
think  I  can  do  good  service  here  in  preparing  for  the 
new  library."  Many  years  later  Mr.  Poor  made 
great  efforts  to  establish  a  free  public  library  in 
Portland  ;  but  he  was  entirely  in  advance  of  the  sen- 
timent of  the  town.  Libraries  had  always  an  irre- 
sistible fascination  for  him.  Amid  all  his  business 
occupations  in  New  York  and  Washington  he  ahvays 
spent  some  time  in  the  Astor  Library  or  anuuig  Gen- 
eral Force's  books.  How  great  was  his  delight  when 
he  discovered  the  beautiful  L'Escarbot  in  New  York. 


4- 


i'}i 


'l  1 


warmmmmimm 


-;* 


20 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IVA  Y. 


m 

il 


But  his  attention  was  not  confined  to  Bangor.  He 
took  an  active  part  in  politics,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Whig  State  Committee.  In  1839  he  sent  to  tlie 
Portland  Advertiser  three  letters,  for  which  he  re- 
ceived the  thanks  of  the  publishers,  giving  an  account 
of  the  Northeastern  boundary  difficulties,  those  trou- 
bles on  the  borders  of  Maine  and  New  Brunswick, 
which  threatened  to  assume  serious  proportions  ;  the 
militia  of  Maine  was  called  out,  the  streets  of  Bangor 
were  full  of  men  arming  for  the  "  Aroostook  War," 
when  the  matter  was  settled  by  the  Ashburton  treaty. 
A  Canadian  remarked  :  "  As  it  displeased  bo^  Par- 
ties, it  was  probably  equitable."  An  article  in  the 
Qtiarterly,  January,  1887,  speaks  of  "  that  unfortu- 
nate Ashburton  Treaty."  The  following  communica- 
tion explains  itself : 

"  Portland,  Nov.  16,  1869. 
"To  His  Excellency, 

"  The  Governor  of  Maine. 
"  Sir  : 

"  I  deem  it  proper  to  lay  before  your  Excellency,  a 
copy  of  the  Executive  Document,  number  132,  House 
of  Representatives,  37th  Congress,  1st  Session,  con- 
taininc:  the  Messac^e  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  under  date  of  €June  14,  1866,  in  reply  to 
a  resolution  of  the  House  of  the  28th  of  May,  re- 
questing information  as  to  the  maps  of  the  Boundary 
Survey  under  the  Treaty  of  Washington,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  explaining  fully  to  your  Excellency  the 
object  I  have  in  view  in  addressing  you  this  note. 

"While  in  Washington  in  the  autumn  of  1861, 
as  Commissioner  on  the  Coast  Defences  of  Maine,  I 


li 


y. 

gov.    He 
ember  of 
nt  to  the 
ch  lie  re- 
el account 
lose  trou- 
runswick, 
ions ;  tlie 
)f  Bangor 
.ok  War," 
;on  treaty, 
bo*^      var- 
3le  in  the 
t  uufortu- 
)mmunica- 

6,  1869. 


cellency,  a 
32,  House 
ssion,  con- 
he  United 
1  re|:)lv  to 
f  May,  re- 
Boundary 
or  the  pur- 
llency   the 
his  note, 
n  of  1861, 
of  Maine,  I 


T/IE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         21 


thought  it  advisable  to  look  at  the  maps  of  the 
Boundary  Survey,  which  might  be  of  great  import- 
ance in  case  of  a  war  with  England,  by  affording  us 
valuable  information  as  to  the  routes  of  approach 
and  means  of  defence,  etc. 

"  In  the  performance  of  these  duties,  I  called  the 
attention  of  the  Secretary  of  State  to  the  incomplete- 
ness of  the  maps  in  question ;  and,  at  my  suggestion, 
Geoi'ge  E.  Baker,  Esq.,  disbursing  agent  of  the  De- 
paitment  of  State,  addressed  a  letter  to  Lieut.-Col. 
I.  D.  Graham,  under  date  of  November  25,  1861,  in 
reference  to  the  maps  in  question,  whose  reply,  in 
due  course  of  mail,  dated  Chicago,  November  30, 
1861,  is  on  pages  13,  14,  and  15  of  the  Document  132 
enclosed.  His  letter  will  put  you  in  possession  of 
information  necessary  to  a  full  understanding  of  the 
object  of  this  note. 

"  The  maps  of  the  line  and  adjacent  teriitory,  from 
the  Monument  at  the  source  of  the  St.  Croix  to  the 
St.  Lawrence  at  St.  Regis,  a  distance  of  675  miles, 
were  drawn  upon  a  scale  of  four  inches  to  one  mile 
in  separate  sheets  uumbered  from  1  to  63,  Nineteen 
other  maps  made  by  the  American  engineers  were 
also  prepared  of  the  several  tributaries  of  the  St. 
John,  on  our  side  of  the  Boundary. 

"These  maps  were  destroyed  ])y  Hre,  on  the  nlgLt 
of  Ap:Il  19,  1848,  and  afterwards  reproduced  under 
an  appropriation  of  Congress  under  the  direction  of 
Col.  Graham,  on  a  reduced  scale  of  two  inches  to  one 
mile,  one  fourth  only  of  the  supei-ficial  size  of  the 
originals.  These  maps  or  drawings  I  found  in  84 
sheets   in   the   State    Department   at   Washington, 


'1 


„jp 


■Mi' 


•f     ^^r 


! 


as 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


but  no  index,  maps,  or  any  notes  or  other  papers 
connected  with  the  Boundary  Survey. 

"  In  accordance  with  the  advice  of  Col.  Graham's 
letter  of  November  30,  1861,  under  an  appropriation 
of  Congress,  requiring  copies  to  be  furnished  to  tl^e 
Executive  of  every  State  bordering  on  foreign  terri- 
tory, the  maps  in  sheets  were  engraved  or  litho- 
graphed ;  a  labor  that  required  some  years'  time, 
but  efficiently  done  under  charge  of  George  E. 
Baker,  Esq.,  and  copies  furnished,  as  required  by 
law,  to  the  Executives  of  the  different  States. 

"In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1866,  being  in 
Washington  engaged  in  prosecuting  the  payment  of 
the  claims  of  Maine  and  Massachusetts,  in  behalf  of 
the  European  and  North  American  Railway,  to 
whose  benefit  they  had  been  assigned,  I  applied  to 
the  State  Department  for  the  use  of  the  maps  in 
question,  being  mainly  anxious  to  examine  the  index 
map  and  other  papers  connected  with  the  boundary 
survey.  But  nothing  had  been  done  beyond  the 
engraving  of  the  maps.  At  my  request  the  Hon. 
John  II.  Rice,  representing  the  fourth  district  of 
Maine  in  the  37th  Congress,  introduced  a  resolution 
of  in(piiry,  which  ^'  as  adopted  on  the  28th  of  May, 
18G6,  in  answer  to  which  the  Message  of  the  Presi- 
dent of  June  the  14th  with  the  accompanying  docu- 
ments was  returned ;  and  the  letter  addressed  by 
the  Secretary  of  State  to  Gen.  Delafield,  Chief  of 
Bureau  of  Engineers,  under  date  of  June  2,  1865, 
was  drawn  forth,  and  submitted  as  a  part  of  the 
correspondence. 

"  I  deem  it  proper  to  say,  that  the  Hon.  Wm.  H. 
Seward,  Secretary  of  State,  took  the  liveliest  interest 


i^   If' 


IV. 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


23 


jr  papers 

Graham's 
•opriation 
Led  to  the 
3igu  terri- 
or  litlio- 
ars'  time, 
reorge  E. 
juired  by 
tes. 

being  in 
ayment  of 
behalf  of 
lilway,   to 
applied  to 
e  maps  in 
the  index 
boundary 
eyond   the 
the  Hon. 
district  of 
resolution 
;h  of  May, 
•  the  Presi- 
ying  docu- 
Iressed   by 
I,  Chief  of 
le  2,  1865, 
)art  of  the 

m.  Wm.  H. 

est  interest 


and  expressed  the  highest  gratification  at  the  effort 
I  hud  made  to  cause  the  plans  of  the  Boundary 
Survey  to  be  perfected  and  preserved ;  and,  at  his 
recpiest,  I  examined  all  the  correspondence  and  other 
jiapers  in  the  State  Department  bearing  on  the  ques- 
tion, and  prepared  the  abstract,  or  rather  selected 
from  the  mass  of  papers  on  file  such  items  of  corre- 
spondence as  I  thought  necessary  to  have  reported 
to  Congress,  and  as  they  now  appear  in  Document 
132. 

"  But  the  call  of  the  Secretary  of  State  upon  the 
Bureau  of  Enijineers  brouijht  at  the  time  nothinsc  in 
reply.  At  the  I'equest  of  the  Secretary  of  State, 
I  applied  personally  to  Gen.  Delafield  and  his  sub- 
ordinates, who  took  every  means  possible  to  get 
information  as  to  the  missing  maps  and  oflicial 
papers  in  the  hands  of  Col.  Graham  at  his  death. 

''  I  also  opened  correspondence  with  different  ofiicers 
u})()n  th.e  subject  without  any  show  of  success,  until 
I  applied  to  Gen.  George  Thom,  of  the  U.  S.  Army, 
in  charge  of  the  public  works  in  Portland.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  recovering  the  index  map  in  an  incompleted 
condition,  as  also  the  astronomical  observations  of 
IVIajor  Graliam,  the  tabulation  of  the  angles  and 
measured  distances,  and  the  tabulation  of  the  monu- 
ments u[)on  the  line,  and  other  papers  referred  to  in 
Col.  Graham's  note  to  Mr.  Clayton  of  May,  18i9, 
given  on  pages  8  and  9,  Document  132. 

"  The  index  map  and  other  papers  were  obtained 
and  forwarded  by  Gen.  Thom  to  the  War  Depart- 
ment at  AVashington,  as  stated  in  his  letter  to  me. 

"On  visiting  Washington,  ina869,  I  called  at  the 
State  Department  on  the  matter,  but  found  that 


\\\ 


m 


H 


FIRS'f'  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


nothing  was  known  in  I'eference  to  the  index  maps 
or  other  papers  in  ([uestion.  1  then  visited  the  War 
Office,  and  after  (Jiie  or  two  unsuccessful  attempts, 
found  the  index  map  in  the  office  of  Col.  Woodniif, 
wliich  liad  been  returned  to  that  office  as  completed 
on  the  3d  of  March,  1869. 

"  Knowing  that  the  index  map  was  to  be  publislied 
by  the  State  Department,  by  calling  on  Mr.  Baker  I 
ascertained  from  him  that  the  balance  of  the  aj^pro- 
priation  on  hand  was  adequate  to  pay  for  the  engrav- 
ing of  the  index  map,  and  that  the  State  Depart- 
ment would  cause  it  to  be  done  as  soon  as  may  be 
after  receiving  it.  At  his  request  I  called  on  Gen, 
Humphrey,  Chief  of  Bureau  of  Engineers,  and  lai(i 
before  him  the  copy  of  Document  132,  calling  his 
attention  to  the  note  of  the  Secretary  of  State  of 
June  2, 18(56,  requesting  the  deposit  of  the  index  maps 
and  other  papers  in  (piestion  in  the  State  Department, 
which  Gen.  Humphrey  assured  me  should  be  done. 

"  Since  then  I  liave  received  letters  from  Mr.  Baker, 
the  latest  of  whicli  informed  me  that  no  index  map 
or  other  papers  connected  therewith  had  been  re- 
ceived at  the  Department  of  State. 

"  The  large  sums  of  money  expended  by  the  govern- 
ment in  making  the  Boundary  Siu'veys,  the  importance 
of  the  information  thus  obtained  to  the  whole  coun- 
try, and  to  the  State  of  Maine  more  especially,  and 
the  deep  historic  interest  connected  with  the  north- 
eastern boundaiy  question,  leads  me  to  hope  that 
measures  will  be  taken  by  you  to  secure  the  publica- 
tion of  the  index  map  in  question,  and  the  other 
information  Avhich  has  been  fortunately  preserved." 


^i 


1 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.  25 


ex  maps 
the  War 
iitteiupts, 
V^oodmff, 
oiiipleted 

;>ul)lislie(l 
.  Baker  I 
lie  appro- 
le  eiigrav- 
3  Depart- 
,s  may  be 
1  on  Gen. 
,  and  laid 
lalliug  his 
:  State  of 
^dex  maps 
partment, 
be  done. 
VI  r.  Baker, 
ndex  map 

been  re- 
he  govern- 
mportance 
lole  eoim- 
cially,  and 
the  north- 
liope  that 
le  publica- 

the  other 
•eserved." 


The  closing  paragi-aph  ot  this  comiiniiiication  has 
been  unfortunately  lost,  but  it  Avas  signed  John  A. 
Poor,  a  citizen  of  Maine.  One  of  the  very  last  let- 
ters written  I)y  Mr.  Poor,  in  the  summer  of  1871, 
was  in  reference  to  this  matter.  Uj)  to  that  time 
the  index  ni;ii)  had  not  been  completed  ;  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  some  other  citizen  of  Maine  will  ui'ge  on 
the  work  where  Mr.  Poor's  hand  drop[)ed  powerless 
in  death,  and  carry  it  to  a  successful  termination. 

But  while  thus  active  in  whatever  duty  came  to 
his  hand,  the  real  inspiration  of  his  life  had  not  yet 
arisen.  We  resume  our  quotations  from  Mr.  Tuttle's 
memoir:  "Many  years  ])efore  moving  to  Portland 
he  became  profoundly  interested  in  the  subject,  then 
fresh,  of  locomotive  railways.  The  inti'oduction  of 
railways  into  New  England  was  an  event  that  made 
a  dee[)  impression  on  his  mind,  and  gave  direction 
to  his  future  life.  He  seems  to  have  com[)i'ehended, 
at  once,  the  full  magnitude  and  im])oi'tance  of  this 
new  method  of  transportation,  which  he  tersely 
characterized  as  '  the  great  achievement  of  man,  the 
most  extraordinary  instrument  for  good  the  world 
has  yet  reached.'  The  year  18134  is  memorable  in 
the  history  of  locomotive  railways  in  New  Eufjland. 
On  the  IGth  of  April  of  that  year  the  first  locomo- 
tive engine,  with  passenger  cars  attached,  ran  over  a 
railway  freshly  laid  l)etween  Boston  and  Newton, 
and  afterwards  extended  to  Worcester  and  l)eyond. 
A  lai'ge  number  of  persons  were  present  in  Boston 
to  witness  this  novel  experiment  of  ti'avel  by  rail- 
way. Among  the  spectators  who  \\aited  with 
breathless  anxiety  the  first  movement  of  the  train 


if^ 


26 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


WJiH  Mr.  Poor,  then  only  twenty-six  }ear8  of  age, 
wlio  had  come  from  Banc-or  to  witness  the  introdiic- 
tion  of  this  new  wonder  of  the  age.  Many  years 
after  the  event,  he  described  this  scene  and  the 
impression  it  made  on  liim.  '  Phiced,'  lie  says, '  upon 
the  track,  its  driver,  who  came  witli  it  from  Eng- 
hmd,  stepped  upon  the  platform  with  almost  the 
airs  of  a  juggler  or  a  professoi*  of  chemistry,  placed 
his  hand  upon  the  lever,  and  with  a  slight  move  of 
it,  the  engine  started  at  a  speed  worthy  of  the  com- 
panion of  the  "Rocket,"  amid  the  shouts  and  cheers 
of  the  multitude.  It  gave  me  such  a  shock  that  my 
hair  seemed  to  start  from  the  roots  rather  than  to 
stand  on  end ;  and  as  I  reflected  in  after  years,  the 
locomotive  engine  grew  into  a  greatness  in  mind  that 
left  all  other  created  thing's  far  behind  it  as  marvels 
and  wonders.'  This  kindled  in  him  an  enthusiasm 
on  the  subject  of  locomotive  railways  which  con- 
tinued to  the  end  of  life.  He  returned  to  Maine  to 
meditate  and  reflect  on  what  he  had  seen  with  his 
own  eyes,  little  dreaming  of  the  fame  he  was  to 
achieve  for  himself  in  railway  euteiprises  within  the 
next  foiiy  years. 

"  In  1836  the  first  locomotive  railway  was  built  in 
Maine,  singularly  enough,  between  Bangor  and  Old- 
town.  The  practical  working  of  this  road  was  under 
his  own  observation ;  and  from  it  he  probably 
learned  his  first  lessons  in  railway  economy.  This 
new  mode  of  travellincc  soon  commended  itself  to  the 
public.  The  Legislature  adopted  measures  which  led 
to  the  survey  of  several  routes,  for  a  I'ailroad,  between 
the  seaboard  in  Maine  and  the  St.  Lawrence  in  Can- 


V. 

of  age, 
nti'0(hic- 
ly  yejira 
uiul  the 
•s, '  upon 
)in  Eng- 
nost  the 
Yj  placed 
move  of 
the  eoni- 
id  cheers 
:  that  my 
•  til  an  to 
years,  the 
nind  that 
s  marvels 
ithusiasm 
hich  con- 
Maine  to 
with  his 
e  was  to 
vithin  the 

IS  built  in 
and  Old- 

hvas  under 
probably 

my.  Tliis 
self  to  the 
which  led 

d,  between 

ice  in  Can- 


r//^'  Z/T£  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         27 


ada.  That  which  connected  Belfast  and  Quebec  was 
rci^ardcd  the  shortest  and  most  practicable  route. 
This  enter[)rise  died  in  its  birth,  and  notliing,  but 
the  re}H)rt  of  the  engineer  ever  came  of  it.  A  rail- 
way fi'om  the  sen))oard  to  the  St.  Lawrence  was  more 
and  more  desired  in  Maine,  as  well  as  in  Canada.  In 
1839  a  survey  was  made  for  a  railway  between  Port- 
land and  Lake  ChamjJain  ;  but  this  enterprise  also 
died.  It  was  obvious  now  that  a  hand  to  execute, 
as  well  as  a  head  to  plan,  was  needed  in  such  an  un- 
dertalving  ;  that  vast  energy,  rare  executive  powers, 
and  great  persistency  were  rec^uired  to  carry  out  so 
great  an  enterprise. 

"  While  Mr.  Poor  was  busily  engaged  in  his  profes- 
sion in  Bangor,  he  was  not  unmindful  of  what  had 
been  going  on.  lie  was  studying  the  whole  subject 
of  future  railways  in  Maine  from  the  highest  point 
of  view,  and  aiming  to  construct  a  system.  Thor- 
oughly ac(juainted  with  the  physical  geography,  tlie 
commercial,  agricultural,  and  manufacturing  capaci- 
ties of  the  state,  he  had  a  grasp  of  the  entire  subject 
superior  to  any  other  person;  and  in  1843  he  made 
puljlic  his  plan  for  two  great  railways,  both  coming 
from  without  the  state,  traversing  it  nearly  its  entire 
length,  and  converging  on  Portland.  The  eastern 
tei-minus  of  one  road  was  Halifax,  and  the  western 
terminus  of  the  other,  Montreal.  This  stupendous 
project  of  connecting  two  empires  by  a  common  in- 
terest, besides  the  inestimable  commercial  advantages 
designed  for  Maine,  looked  to  the  shortening  of  the 
time  of  passage  between  New  York  and  Liverpool, 
about  two  days,  and  to  a  direct  railway  route  from 


m. 


■■«. 


■:0 


m 


a8 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


Portland  to  Montronl,  tlience  to  the  great  lakes  and 
prairies  in  the  west.  TliiH  magnificent  scheme,  wliich 
must  have  seemed  impossible  of  execution  to  most 
persons  wlien  he  projected  it,  in  the  infancy  of  rail- 
ways in  Maine,  he  liv^ed  to  see  accomplished,  through 
his  own  agency  and  indomitable  perseverance,  ir,  less 
than  tliirty  years." 

These  may  faii'ly  l)e  called  the  first  intei'national 
railways  in  the  United  States  ;  they  were  also  based 
upon  the  idea,  then  new,  that  railways  should  serve 
to  develop  the  country,  build  up  lousiness ;  not,  ac- 
cording to  the  Massachusetts  theory,  act  as  local 
lines  in  an  already  settled  comnumity.  When  it  is 
remembered  that  there  was  not,  in  1844,  a  railway 
east  of  Portland,  the  Boston  Journal  is  correct  in 
saying  :  "  Mr.  Poor  is  the  father  of  the  railroad  sys- 
tem of  Maine,  especially  in  its  relations  to  British 
North  America." 

Thus  early  he  made  practical  application  of  the 
idea  he  expressed  in  writing  in  1852:  "The  true 
pi'inciples  upon  which  all  public  im[)rovements 
should  rest  are  the  simplest  laws  of  physical  geogra- 
phy and  commercial  advantage." 

Of  the  origin  of  his  railway  plan,  Mr.  Poor  wrote 
in  1860  :  "The  plan  of  the  railway  from  Portland  to 
Montreal  was  the  w^ork  of  my  own  mind  exclusively. 
I  never  received  a  hint  or  suggestion  that  ever  aided 
me  from  any  quarter."  Of  the  train  of  thought  which 
led  to  this  conclusion,  we  find  a  description  in  the 
speech  delivered  at  Bangor  in  1869.  "From  1830, 
onward,  I  watched  with  eager  curiosity  the  develop- 
ment of  the  railway,  its  mysterious  workings  and 


y. 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         29 


ikes  au(l 
e,  which 
to  most 
r  of  rail- 
tliroiigh 
le,  ir.  less 

[•luitional 
Iso  based 
Lild  serve 
;  not,  ac- 
as  h)cal 
Hien  it  is 
I  railway 
correct  in 
Iroiul  sys- 
,0  Britisli 

on  of  the 
The  true 
•ovements 
al  geogra- 

:)or  ^vrote 
,)rtland  to 
:clusively. 
ver  aided 
^ht  which 
on  in  the 
•om  1830, 
e  develop- 
kings  and 


iiiarvellons  power ;  and  I  siglied  and  longed  for  the 
introdiKttioii  of  r-'uh'oads  into  Maine.  I  saw  how 
the  railroad,  wherever  introduced,  attracted  capital 
and  industry.  As  early  as  1835,  I  j)erceived  that 
the  tide  of  iiiunigration  into  Maine,  from  other  parts 
of  New  EngLand  gradually  dimiiiislied,  and  finally 
was  clieeked  completely  by  tlie  growth  of  manufac- 
tures. I  could  not  help  seeing  that  a  tide  of  emigra- 
tion from  Maine  was  rolling  on  ;  for  in  1843,  on  a 
visit  to  my  native  town  with  less  than  seven  Imn- 
dred  people,  eighty  young  persons  had  been  drawn 
fi'om  it  to  the  workshops  and  factories  of  Massachu- 
setts. I  felt  irresistibly  impelled  to  an  eifort  to  re- 
sist if  possible  this  state  of  things.  I  tried  in  1843, 
as  a  citizen  of  Bangor,  to  move  in  a  2)lan  for  a  rail- 
way east,  toward  St.  John  and  Halifax,  but  the  time 
had  not  come,  and  I  threw  my  energies  into  the  pro- 
ject of  a  line  from  Poi'tland  to  Montreal,  as  the  great 
section  to  l)egin  upon.  I  saw  then,  as  now,  that  the 
travel  and  traffic  between  Monti'eal  and  Halifax 
must  pass  across  Maine." 

Another  wrote  :  "  While  the  first  section  of  the  At- 
lantic and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad  ^vas  in  construction, 
w^e  met  at  Norway  village  and  took  the  mail  stage  to 
Portland.  I  asked  him  what  suc-icested  to  his  mind 
an  enteiprise  of  such  vast  magnitude  as  uniting 
Montreal  and  Portland  ])y  a  railroad.  He  answered 
that  it  was  a  matter  he  felt  disinclined  to  make  pub- 
lic, but  as  I  A\-as  a  Swedenborgian,  he  could  tell  me 
without  prejudice,  as  perhaps  I  might  understand 
the  philosophy  of  it.  Said  he  :  *  It  was  a  vision,  in 
which  I  saw  the  whole  line  pass  before  me  like  a 


30 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y, 


■  I 


grand  paiirtraiim,  and  in  continuation  a  vast  Hystem 
of  railroads  permeating  tlio  wliole  coinitry,  from  the 
Bay  of  ('lialeur  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  ;  with  new 
cities  with  a  dense  population ;  with  every  facility 
for  ocean  steamships  from  every  countiy  ;  and  the 
coast  of  Maine  lined  witli  cities  rivalling  the  cities 
on  the  coast  of  the  Baltic."  His  vision  is  fast  be- 
coming a  reality,  for  seaside  cottages  now  line  every 
shore  of  Maine,  and  a  summer  city  beai's  witness  to 
the  uni(pie  beauty  of  Bar  Harbor. 

In  the  winter  of  1843-4  he  wrote  petitions  which 
were  presented  to  the  Legislature  of  Maine,  and  re- 
ferred to  suitable  committees.  In  January,  1837, 
Mr.  Poor  had  lost  the  wife  of  his  youth  when  tliey 
had  been  married  three  years  and  six  months.  Some 
years  after,  he  married.  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Hon. 
Benjamin  Orr,  of  Brunswick,  a  member  of  Congress, 
and  one  of  the  most  brilliant  lawyers  who  have  ever 
practised  in  Maine  ;  she  died  suddenly  ;  three  daugh- 
ters had  previously  died  in  their  infancy,  but  one 
child,  a  daughter,  was  left.  He  w^as  a  man  of  the 
strongest  domestic  affections  ;  he  had  found  his  hap- 
piness in  his  charming  home ;  but  henceforward  he 
threw  himself  into  <•  arrying  out  that  idea  which 
seemed  to  absorb  his  whole  being.  August  the 
fifth,  1844,  he  wroto  in  his  private  journal  as  follows : 
"  Man  has  a  duty  to  perform,  and  a  destiny  to  fulfil. 
I  have  been  more  than  most  men  stimulated  to  action 
by  the  allurements  of  life  and  the  incitements  of  the 
imagination.  Real  sorrow  calms  and  moderates  the 
expectations  of  youth." 

Mr.  Poor  was  at  this  time  thirty-six  years  of  age ; 
although  not  a  rich  man,  he  was  not  a  poor  man  ; 


(K 

At  system 
from  tlie 
vitli  lunv 
y  facility 
;  and  the 
ihii  cities 
4  fast  be- 
iiie  every 
vitness  to 

DTis  which 
e,  and  re- 
iry,   1837, 
rvhen  they 
ti8.     Some 
>r  of  Hon. 
Congress, 
have  ever 
ree  daugh- 
but  one 
lan  of  the 
d  his  hap- 
orward  he 
ea  which 
uorust  the 
IS  follows : 
ly  to  fulfil, 
d  to  action 
3nts  of  the 
lerates  the 

ars  of  age ; 
3oor  man  ; 


TJ/£  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         31 

and  tliere  was  no  reason  tliat  lie  should  h'ave  a  well 
estal)Hshed  l)usiness  to  work  where  lie  had  no  prop- 
erty to  he  benefited,  and  witliout  suitable  pay  ;  no 
reason  except  that  the  inward  voice  had  called  him  ; 
and  he  obeyed.  Mr.  Tuttle  says :  "  In  the  autunni 
(»f  1844,  having  matured  his  plans,  he  ])ravely  entered 
ui)on  the  execution  of  his  great  design  to  connect 
Portland  and  Montreal  by  an  international  railway, 
the  first  ever  projected  on  this  continent.  The  im- 
dertaking  then  might  well  seem  appalling :  more 
than  two  Imndred  and  fifty  miles  of  railway,  at  an 
estimated  cost  of  $10,000,000.  He  traversed  the 
valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  from  Lake  Erie  down- 
wards, to  gain  information  ff)r  his  jiui'pose.  From 
Montreal  he  crossed  over  his  projected  route  to  Poi't- 
land,  part  of  the  way  on  foot,  examining  the  country 
and  making  known  his  railway  project." 

He  caused  public  meetings  to  be  held  at  Sher- 
brooke,  Canada ;  Canaan,  Vermont ;  and  Colebrooke, 
New  Hampshire :  at  which  he  spoke.  He  wrote  a 
connnunication  to  the  Sherhronke  Gazette,  September 
the  fifth,  1844,  a  date  memorable  as  the  beginning  of 
anew  era  in  Maine — the  commercial  and  historical  era. 

For  Maine  proper  it  began  in  the  homestead  of 
Silvanus  Poor.  From  that  farm-house  Mr.  Poor 
wrote  a  communication  to  the  Portland  Advertiser, 
September  tenth,  1844.  The  citizens  of  Andover, 
Maine  assembled  there  to  listen  to  Mr.  Poor,  and 
made  up  a  purse  to  pay  the  expenses  of  Deacon 
Samuel  Poor,  who  accompanied  Mr.  John  Alfred 
Poor  to  Portland. 

Portland  was  at  this  time  known  throughout  the 
State  as  "  the  deserted  village."    Mr.  Tuttle  says : 


'■■■  ■•t 

:  V 


i 


[,    llll'll 


32 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


n  !' 


"  Hia  letter  ci'eated  a  profound  sensation  in  Portland, 
whicli  be  compared  to  *  an  alarm-bell  in  the  night 
struck  by  the  hand  of  a  strangei'.'  lie  went  to  Poi't- 
land  with  a  deputation  from  the  country,  and  urged 
the  citizens  to  embark  in  the  undertaking.  The 
principal  citizens,  appreciating  the  force  of  his  argu- 
ments, and  seeing  the  advantages  certainly  to  accrue 
to  the  city,  immediately  came  forward,  headed  by 
Judge  Preble,  to  assist  the  Bangor  lawyer  in  his 
great  enterprise.  The  favorable  action  of  Portland 
was  felt  throughout  the  whole  length  of  the  proposed 
route,  and  the  work  of  preliminary  organization  went 
rapidly  forward.  A  provisional  survey  of  the  route 
was  executed  before  December.  He  devoted  his 
energies  to  the  organizing  of  a  company  and  to  the 
procuring  of  a  charter  for  the  road.  Just  before  the 
charter  was  obtained  it  was  discovered  that  the 
wealth  and  enterprise  of  Boston  were  in  Canada, 
urging  the  Canadians  to  unite  with  that  city  and 
build  the  road  to  Boston.  This  created  great  alarm 
among  the  friends  of  Mr.  Poor's  project.  It  was  a 
critical  moment  for  Portland  and  for  Maine  interests. 
Canada  desired  an  outlet  for  her  staple  products  and 
merchandise,  and  it  mattered  but  little  to  her  in 
which  of  the  Atlantic  ports  she  found  it." 

It  may  be  well  to  give  a  more  detailed  account  of 
the  opposition  ;  we  will,  therefore,  copy  what  Mr. 
Poor  wrote  some  years  later :  "  Before  the  road  to 
Montreal  had  been  suggested  in  Portland,  three  great 
lines  from  Boston  to  Montreal  hiid  been  entered  upon, 
the  necessary  charters  obtained,  and  the  projects 
themselves,  well  endorsed  by  Boston  capital,  in  full 


■»*■"' 


IV. 

Portland, 
the  niglit 
t  to  Port- 
iiid  urged 
ng.     The 
;  liis  argu- 
te accrue 
leaded  by 
^er  iu  his 
;  Poi-tland 
3  proposed 
ation  went 
E  the  route 
3voted  his 
aud  to  the 
before  the 

that  the 
n  Canada, 
,t  city  aud 
rreat  alarm 

It  was  a 
le  interests, 
■oducts  and 

to  her  in 

account  of 

what  Mr. 

he  road  to 

three  great 
/cered  upon, 
lie  projects 
3ital,  in  full 


T//£  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         n 


possession  of  the  public  ear  of  Canada.  These  lines 
were  the  Boston,  Concord,  and  Montreal  i-ailroad 
charters  in  1844,  acting  at  that  time  in  connection 
with  the  Passumpsic  road,  whose  charter  is  of  an 
earlier  date  ;  the  Vennont  Central  Railroad,  in  con- 
nection with  the  Northern  Raili'oad  of  New  Hamp- 
shire ;  aud  the  Rutland  and  Bnrlington  Railroad,  as 
an  extension  of  the  Fitchbur^  road.  All  these  com- 
panies  Avere  in  the  field  ;  all  had  their  agents  in 
Montreal  in  advance  of  Portland,  and  during  the 
whole  time  that  the  railway  policy  of  Canada  was 
under  discussion  in  the  Provincial  Parliament  in 
1845." 

At  the  head  of  the  oj^position  was  the  Hon.  Eras- 
tus  Fairbanks,  afterwards  Governor  of  Vermont, 
backed  by  that  celebrated  letter  of  advice  to  the 
merchants  of  Montreal,  and  Canadian  Parliament, 
which  was  signed  by  the  Hon.  Harrison  Gray  Otis, 
Hon.  Abbott  Lawrence,  and  three  hundred  and 
fifty-seven  othei's,  certified  by  the  Mayor  of  Boston 
to  be  "  among  the  most  wealthy  capitalists  and  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city,"  admonishing  the  citizens  of 
Montreal  and  the  Parliament  of  Canada  not  to  listen 
to  the  emissaries  from  Portland  who  were  advocatinar 
the  Portland  route.  This  celebrated  dr  i  ^^.nt, 
among  other  statements,  has  the  following,  viz. :  "  If 
a  conununication  is  to  be  opened  between  Montreal 
and  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  it  mnst  be  from  Boston,  etc. 
Any  grant  by  the  Provincial  Pa'liament  giving  a 
preference  to  a  different  route  would  be  calculated, 
we  believe,  to  defer,  if  not  ultimately  defeat,  the  ob- 
ject so  much  desired  by  business  men  in  Canada  and 


t. 


WM 


m 


34 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 


m 


■I-' 


the  United  States."  A  document  quite  worthy  of 
the  calm  assumption  of  superiority  characterizing 
the  Massachusetts  person. 

By  the  very  irony  of  fate,  Boston  merchants  rep- 
resenting the  Chamber  of  Commei'ce  met  a  commit- 
tee of  the  United  States  Senate  in  Boston,  September, 
1889,  and  declared  before  it  that  the  "  Grand  Trunk 
Railway  is  to  New  England  what  the  Erie  Canal  is 
to  New  York." 

Mr.  Poor  hjistened  to  Canada  to  prevent  the  Board 
of  Trade  of  Montreal  from  committing  itself  to  the 
Boston  interests.  He  set  out  from  Portland  at  mid- 
night on  the  fifth  of  February,  five  days  before  the 
Legislature  of  Maine  wanted  the  charter  for  his 
road,  in  the  face  of  the  most  terrific  snow-storm  of 
the  winter,  and  drove  through  deep  snows  to  Mon- 
treal, reaching  that  city  on  the  morning  of  the  fifth 
day  of  his  journey,  when  the  thermometer  was 
standing  twenty-nine  degrees  below  zero.  Sorat^ 
years  later,  Mr.  Poor  wrote  an  account  of  his  jour- 
ney, which  we  will  give  entire.  His  passage  of 
Dixville  Notch  is  sufficient  to  cause  that  mountain- 
gorge  to  be  forever  associated  with  his  name  : 

"  A  snow-storm  among  the  mountains  is  the  most 
fearful  thing  in  nature.  The  e.irth(|uake,  the  vol- 
cano, the  hurricane  are  fearful  exhibitions  of  the 
strife  of  the  elements;  but  these,  in  the  nature  of 
things,  are  limited  in  extent  and  of  short  duration. 
But  a  snow-storm  amonj?  the  mountains  or  in  the 
polar  regions  is  a  fearful  type  of  vengeance,  of  ter- 
ror, and  of  wnith.  The  dwellei's  in  the  city,  or  those 
who  traverse  the  deep  have  no  power  to  conceive  of 


AY. 

worthy  of 
racterizing 

jliants  rep- 
a  commit- 
September, 
and  Trunk 
e  Canal  is 

t  tlie  Board 
tself  to  the 
and  at  mid- 
,  before  the 
-ter  for  his 
ow-storm  of 
)ws  to  Mon- 
of  the  fifth 
ometer   was 
ero.      Some 
of  liis  jonr- 
passage   of 
,t  mountaiu- 
ame ; 

is  the  most 
ike,  the  vol- 
tions  of  the 
le  nature  of 
ort  duration. 
IS  or  in  tlie 
jance,  of  ter- 
city,  or  those 
L)  conceive  o{ 


T/Ii:  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


35 


the  sublimity  or  the  grandeur  of  the  snow-tempest 
among  the  hills.  I  made  the  trial  once,  aud  found 
it  more  than  my  fancy  had  painted  it. 

"On  the  morning  of  the  fifth  of  February,  1845, 
at  half-past  twelve  o'clock,  the  writer  started  for 
Montreal  iu  a  stoi-m  not  unlike  that  of  yesterday. 
Some  people  in  Portland  may  remember  the  event. 
The  recollection  of  it  has  haunted  the  writer  of  this 
as  a  lurid  dream  or  a  tormenting  nightmare  e\'er 
since.  The  storm  of  February  sixth,  IS'IS,  was  re- 
markable for  its  severity  and  its  extent.  At  that 
time  we  had  no  telegraphic  announcement  of  Its 
approach.  A  fcAV  days  of  clear,  bright  weatlier  gave 
promise  of  an  easy  ride  through  the  woods  to  Canada. 
Delay  was  caused  by  the  tediousness  in  preparing 
the  necessary  papers,  and  it  was  finally  arranged 
that  I  should  leave  at  midnight,  between  the  fourth 
and  fifth,  on  the  arrival  of  the  eastern  mail.  Some 
preparations  had  been  made  for  relays  of  horses  to 
Sherbrooke,  and  the  roads  for  some  da}s  prior  had 
been  in  good  condition  for  that  season  of  the  year. 
A  dark  and  portentous  sky  hung  black  over  the  east 
all  the  day  of  the  fourth.  ...  At  ten  o'clock  in  the 
evening  the  ^vind  had  increased  almost  to  a  gale,  and 
slight  specks  of  snow  came  dancing  through  the  air 
*  It  is  too  cold  to  snow,'  was  the  common  remark,  ana 
the  thermometer  stood  at  thirty-five  degrees  below 
the  freezing-point.  Before  twelve  o'clock  the  snow 
fell  fast,  but  it  was  like  ice  or  hail ;  the  wind,  blow- 
ing with  violence,  seemed  to  sweep  it  almost  entirely 
away.  The  fierce  howl  of  the  blast,  aud  the  clatter 
of  the  snow  against  the  window-panes  and  awning- 


pi 

%' 

%,- 


\:% 


m 


36 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


posts  made  every  one  anxious  to  keep  witliin  doors. 
Entreaties  and  remonstrances  were  showered  upon 
me  to  desist  from  the  effort.  But  it  was  felt  to  be 
a  turning-point  in  the  history  of  our  railway  to  Mon- 
treal. The  mission  undertaken  in  fair  weather 
must  be  performed  in  spite  of  the  tempest.  Sub- 
sequent events  proved  the  necessity  of  its  perform- 
ance. 

"  Only  one  ma^  •  could  be  found  in  Portland  to  en- 
counter with  me  the  first  seven  miles.  At  half-past 
twelve  o'clock,  we  started  for  Gray.  A  gentleman 
volunteered  his  spirited  horse,  in  a  sleigh  for  that 
stage  of  the  Journey,  and  I  took  the  reins  for  the 
start.  The  horse  seemed  more  wise  than  his  driver, 
and  resolutely  determined  to  turn  back.  He  dodged 
the  drifts,  plunged  over  stone  walls,  upset  us  time 
after  time,  from  his  inability  to  face  the  pelting 
snow.  The  rising  snow  cut  the  face  like  a  knife, 
and  the  only  way  in  which  we  could  protect  our 
eyes  was  to  allow  the  icicles  to  hang  from  our  eye- 
brows, and  then  with  the  end  of  one  finger  to  melt 
a  small  orifice  through  which  to  see. 

"  The  snow  came  down  so  fast  that  the  track  was 
lost,  where  the  snow  was  not  thrown  out  of  the  road : 
and  after  six  hours  of  incessant  labor,  we  reached 
Teak's  tavern  in  Falmouth,  seven  miles  from  Port- 
land, frozen  in  hands  and  face.  Before  daylight,  a 
foot  of  snow  had  fallen  on  a  level,  and  before  noon 
that  day,  it  had  reached  a  depth  of  eighteen  inches. 
Starting  again  with  the  first  streak  of  day,  we  reached 
Gray  Corner  before  noon,  and  ^>Vaterhouse'8  hospita- 
ble house  at  Paris,  by  dark. 


I 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


37 


eye- 
melt 


was 
oad : 
iclied 
Poi-t- 
lit,  a 
noon 
dies, 
iclied 
spita- 


"Tlie  wind  had  come  round  to  the  northwest,  and 
tlie  drifts  were  higlier  tlian  the  tops  of  tlie  fences 
everywliere.  Nothing  coidd  induce  tlie  experienced 
and  daring  AVatorhouse  to  move  out  on  that  night, 
but  the  first  dawn  found  us  on  our  way  to  Kunifonl 
and  Andover;  tlii'ough  fields,  over  fences,  and  every- 
Avliere  tliat  a  track  could  be  forced.  Tlie  way  in 
which  the  northwest  wind  sweeps  down  the  valley 
of  the  Androscoggin,  and  through  the  valley  of  the 
Ellis  River,  and  tlie  size  of  the  drifts  that  are  piled 
across  the  road  in  that  region,  are  the  terror  of  the 
inexpeiienced  traveller.  But  there  is  nothing  so 
sweet  to  the  younn;  mountaineer,  as  storms  and  snow- 
drifts.  The  air  is  bracing;  the  nervous  system 
wrought  almost  to  a  pitch  of  delirium ;  and  to  wres- 
tle, to  combat  Avith  cold  and  snow,  is  a  pleasure. 

"  At  lluniford,  where  I  found  acquaintances,  I  sent 
out  videttes  as  horseback  riders,  who  made  a  single 
horse  track  to  Andover.  The  young  men  of  the  coun- 
try, as  many  as  six  or  eight  in  number,  mounted  on  the 
best  horses,  broke  the  path.  At  Andover,  I  found 
friends  in  waiting  to  aid  me  :  a  few  miles  brouijht  us 
into  the  roads,  but  those  miles  were  the  most  trying 
we  had  met.  The  drifts,  the  terror  of  all  travellers, 
disaj)peared  after  entering  Andover  Surplus  and 
throui2:li  to  Umbao-ocr  Lake.  That  night,  however,  the 
thermometer  stood  at  eifjliteen  degrees  below  zero. 
There  was  not  a  track  from  Andover  to  Colebroke, 
over  forty  miles,  and  the  level  of  the  new  snow  in 
all  that  distance  was  two  feet.  From  Andover,  till 
we  had  passed  Dixoille  Notch,  our  speed  with  two 
horses  in  a  single  sleigh  was  but  two  miles  an  liour. 


m 


■/,'.  ;:\ 

f 


38 


FIRSr  INTERNATIONAL  RAIIAVAY. 


"'T 


The  passage  cf  the  Dixoille  Notcli  was  the  great 
feat  in  the  expedition  ;  for  when  tliis  was  accom- 
plislied,  the  northwest  wind  wonhl  aljate  its  fury. 
The  terrific  liowl  with  wliich  it  sAveeps  down  those 
giant  cliffs  eight  hundred  feet  high  ;  the  huge  moun- 
tain baidv  of  snow  that  is  })iled  in  the  bottom  of  the 
gorge,  at  the  summit  line  of  the  I'oad,  make  one  shud- 
der at  the  recollection.  Tlie  Rev.  T.  Starr  King 
thus  describes  Dixoille  Notch :  '  The  first  view  of  it 
is  very  impressive.  It  opens  like  a  titanic  gateway 
to  some  rcgi' r  .  vast  and  mysterious  desolation. 
The  pass  is  much  narrower  than  either  of  the  more 
famed  ones  in  *he  ^^-^^ute  Mountains,  and  thiv)agh 
its  whole  extent  of  a  mile  and  a  quarter  has  more 
the  character  of  a  notch.  One  cannot  but  feel  that 
the  mountain  was  rent  apart  by  some  volcanic  con- 
vulsion of  nature,  and  the  two  sides  left  to  tell  the 
story  l)y  the  correspondence,  and  the  naked  di'eai'iness 
of  the  pillars  of  rotting  rock  that  face  each  other. 
There  is  little  mt^re  than  room  for  a  road  at  the  bot- 
tom, and.  the  walls  slope  away  from  it  so  sharply, 
that  considerable  outlay  is  required  from  the  state 
every  year  to  clear  it  of  the  stones  and  earth  which 
the  frosts  and  rains  roll  into  it  every  Avintev  and 
spring.  No  description  can  impart  an  adequate  con- 
ception of  the  mournful  grandeur  of  the  decaying 
cliffs  of  mica  slate  which  overhang  the  way.  They 
shoot  up  in  most  singular  and  fantastic  sha})es,  and 
vary  in  height  from  four  hundred  to  eight  hundred 
feet.  A  few  centuries  ago  the  pass  must  have  been 
very  wild,  but  the  |)innacles  of  rock  which  give  the 
scenery   such   an   Alpine    character   are    crumbling 


f 

i 

I 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


39 


(1 


le 


»'g 


W 
■I 


i 


away.  Some  have  decayed  to  half  tlieir  original 
lieiirlit,  and  the  side  walls  of  the  notch  are  strewn 
\vith  the  debris  which  the  ice  and  storms  have  [)ried 
and  gnawed  from  the  decrepit  cliffs.  The  whole 
aspect  is  one  of  ruin  and  wreck.  The  creativ^e  forces 
seem  to  have  retreated  from  tlie  spot,  and  abandoned 
it  to  the  sport  of  the  destructive  elements.  One 
mi<dit  entertain  the  thouixht  that  some  awful  crime 
had  been  committed  tliere,  for  which  the  region  was 
blasted  with  an  everlastino;  curse.'  If  such  an  im- 
pression  was  made  upon  the  mind  of  a  visitor  in  the 
(juiet  autumn,  what  language  can  adequately  convey 
to  others  an  idea  of  its  fearful ness,  its  terrific  grand- 
eur in  a  winter's  stoi'm. 

"  The  first  thing  that  struck  us  on  approaching  the 
gorge  was  the  fact — the  road  is  lost !  The  road  in 
summer  leads  far  along  a  narrow  steep  of  rock, 
windino;  its  sinuous  course  alone;  its  eastern  side. 
At  this  time,  not  only  were  all  signs  of  a  track  gone, 
but  we  could  see  no  way  in  which  a  man  on  foot 
could  find  room  to  pass ;  the  sides  presented  perpen- 
dicular walls  of  snow.  Our  experienced  guide,  known 
as  the  "Notch-Tender,"  led  the  way  with  shovels, 
others  soon  made  a  foothold  for  the  horse  ;  the  sleigh 
and  baggage  were  carried  over  by  hand,  until  we 
came  to  the  principal  barrier,  a  mountainous  drift 
twenty  feet  high,  rising  directly  across  the  gorge. 

"  Two  young  men  of  Erroll,  N.  H.,  by  the  name  of 
Bragg,  assisted  by  three  others  enlisted  on  the  way, 
after  two  hours'  labor,  opened  a  cut,  through  which 
my  horse  was  pushed.  Tiie  fearful  thing  to  the  un- 
initiated is  the  danirer  of  beiuc;  smothered  in  the  snow. 


M 
$ 


t    ( 


1 


■PG 


40 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


Every  few  steps  we  had  to  turn  round  to  catch  oiii- 
breath.  The  wind  blew  through  the  Notch  a  fear- 
ful gale,  so  continuous  as  hardly  to  exhibit  a  lull  or 
pause,  and  the  air  was  dark  with  the  drifting  snow. 
The  place  is  over  two  thousand  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  and  the  biting  sharpness  of  the  cold  can 
hardly  be  described.  Slowly  and  toilsomely  we 
made  our  way  onward,  shifting  horses  as  we  could 
find  them,  keeping  an  outrider  ahead  to  engage 
relays.  To  break  a  track  to  Sherbrooke,  in  a  dej)th 
of  eighteen  inches  of  snow,  was  no  trifling  task, 
though  the  northwest  wind  on  the  other  side  of  the 
White  Mountains  made  the  depth  of  snow  somewhat 
less.  I  reached  Montreal  at  half-past  five  in  the 
morning  of  February  tenth,  but  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  St.  Lawrence  River.  The  river  was  full  of 
broken  and  drifting  ice,  and  for  some  time,  I  could 
find  no  one  to  carry  me  across.  Finally,  I  prevailed 
upon  a  Frenchman  ;  after  struggling  with  the  ice  for 
an  houi",  we  reached  the  Montreal  shore.  I  arrived 
at  the  hotel  at  seven  in  the  morning,  and  the  ther- 
mometer stood  at  twenty-nine  degrees  below  zero. 

"In  accomplishing  the  eiitire  journey,  I  took  off  my 
clothes  but  twice,  and  slept  but  seven  hours  during 
the  five  days ;  a  frame  of  less  vital  power  might 
have  yielded  on  the  way.  My  appearance  at  Mon- 
treal bringing  information,  two  days  in  advance  of 
any  other  news  from  the  Atlantic  coast,  was  looked 
upon  with  surprise." 

Speaking  in  another  place  of  his  dreadful  journey, 
and  his  mission,  many  years  later,  he  said:  "Eveiy 
fibre  of  my  frame  thrills  with  horror  at  the  recollection 


•f 


■  m 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         41 


'4 
I 


1 


of  it.  I  nccoraplished  my  task.  I  met  the  Montreal 
Board  of  Trade  at  ten  in  tlie  morning  of  that  (hiy, 
and  prevented  the  adoption  of  a  resolution,  previ- 
ously prepared,  in  favor  of  going  to  Boston  with 
their  line  instead  of  Portland,  wliieli  would  have 
been  carried  unanimously  hut  for  ray  siuhlen  ap[)ear- 
ance  and  the  assui'ance  given  by  me  of  tlie  superior 
advantages  of  Portland  over  Boston.  I  was  justly 
proud  of  the  achievement.  In  return,  I  carry  in  my 
person  the  renewals  of  suffering,  which  fever  and 
sciatica,  following  in  the  train  of  fatigue  and  ex- 
posure, have  entailed  upon  an  otherwise  strong  con- 
stitution. I  could  not  go  through  such  another  ex- 
posure again,  if  I  would,  and  I  would  not  do  it  for 
all  the  wealth  of  the  world.  The  terrors  of  a  Cana- 
dian winter  are  too  fearful  to  encounter  in  this  way 
a  second  time.  But  my  heart  was  in  the  enterprise, 
and  my  health,  my  life,  and  my  future  sufferings 
were  not  thought  of.  All  the  events  of  this  early 
history  are  more  fresh  in  my  mind  than  those  of  the 
last  session  of  the  Legislature,  for  I  trend^led  at 
every  step  with  the  timidity  of  a  youthful  adven- 
turer over  the  perilous  Alps,  in  view  of  the  vast 
importance  of  the  enterprise  to  the  state." 

Another  adjunct  to  the  success  was  described  as 
follows :  "  iVfter  much  discussion  at  Montreal  by 
Mr.  Poor  and  the  Boston  agents,  it  was  decided  to 
run  an  express  team  from  Portland  to  Montreal  on 
the  arrival  of  a  certain  steamer  fr(^m  Liverpool,  which 
was  to  touch  at  Portland  and  proceed  at  once  to  Bos- 
ton. The  express  team  was  to  start  from  Portland 
at  the  time  of  the  steamer's  arrival  there,  and  the 


,',< 


'■  i 


••.1!: 


3 


I! 


II 


¥ 


43 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IVA  Y. 


express  to  start  from  Boston  at  the  time  of  its 
ari'iv.'il  tliere.  Tlie  steamer  was  exj)ected  to  arrive 
at  Boston  about  the  first  of  Febi'uary,  1845. 

"  Mucli  interest  was  manifested  in  botli  cities,  and 
great  efforts  were  made  l)y  the  friends  of  botli  routes 
to  be  ready  for  the  race,  and  botli  parties  were 
anxious  to  secure  the  favor  of  Montreal.  Teams 
were  provided  and  stationed  along  the  route  from 
Portland  at  distances  fi'om  five  to  fifteen  miles  apart, 
and  the  right  road  at  different  places  was  marked 
out  by  sticking  up  evergreen  bushes  on  each  side  of 
it,  that  there  should  be  no  delay  by  taking  the 
wrong  road  in  the  night-time ;  and  all  was  in  readi- 
ness several  days  before  the  ariival  of  the  steamer. 

"  The  steamer  arrived  at  Portland  about  tlie  tenth 
of  Febi'uary,  1845.  Part  of  the  mail  from  England 
for  Mortreal  was  obtained,  and  put  into  a  small  bag 
made  for  the  occasion,  and  strap})ed  to  the  shouldei'S 
of  a  Mr.  Haskell,  and  the  race  began.  Mr.  Water- 
house  drove  at  the  farther  end  of  the  route,  and 
reached  Montreal,  with  his  coach-and-six  decorated 
for  the  occasion  with  the  stars  and  stripes  flying, 
more  than  twelve  hours  befoi'e  the  express  reached 
there  by  way  of  Boston,  and  cheer  after  cheer  was 
given  by  the  people  there  for  the  route  to  Port- 
land." Mr.  Tuttle  says :  "  But  for  his  well-directed 
efforts  in  Montreal,  the  road  would  have  been 
built  to  Boston  instead  of  Portland.  This  struggle 
for  the  Atlantic  terminus  of  the  road  was  severe 
and  protracted.  He  fought,  single-handed,  against 
every  aj'gument  which  wealth  and  commercial  prea 
tige  could  devise,  before  the  Committee  on  Hail 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


43 


ways  of  tlio  Canadian  Parliament,  then  in  scsHion. 
Tlie  arrival  of  Judj^e  Pivble  at  Montreal,  nweek  later, 
with  the  eharter  granted  ))>'  the  Legislatures  of  Maine, 
assisted  him  in  giving  a  final  blow  to  the  o[)[)osition." 
On  his  return  Mr.  Poor  went  to  Boston,  where  lie 
was  seized  with  a  frightful  illness.  For  weeks,  lie 
suffered  such  pain  as  would  have  killed  an  ordinarily 
strong  man;  and  ruved  iu  delirium,  until  two  men 
could  not  hold  him.  In  one  of  his  intervals  of  pain 
he  had  a  strange  vision.  He  felt  that  he  had  died, 
and  was  in  the  other  worhl.  lie  saw  the  friends 
whom  he  had  lost;  was  free  from  pain, and  perfectly 
ha])py;  when  he  heai'd  a  voice  telling  him,  that  his 
work  on  earth  was  not  done,  and  that  he  must  go 
back.  He  Ijegged  and  im[)lored  to  stay,  but  in  vain, 
and  he  was  conscious  of  unutterable  anguish  as  he  re- 
turned. The  inflammation  settled  in  the  sciatic  nerve 
of  the  left  leg ;  and  for  several  months  he  could  walk 
oidy  by  the  aid  of  two  crutches.  He  apparently  re- 
covered perfect  health,  but  was  never  again  free  from 
pain  and  sensitiveness  in  the  left  leg,  at  any  change 
of  weather. 

«  Before  Mr.  Poor  started  for  Montreal,  several  Port- 
land men  raised  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  for  his  ex])enses.  Eveiy  generous  heart  will 
throb  with  indignation  to  know  that  the  Atlantic  and 
St.  Lawrence  Railway  Company  considered  five  dol- 
lars u  day  for  six  weeks'  time  sufficient  pay  for  Mi-. 
Poor's  services  in  procuring  the  charter ;  and  that 
for  money  spent  in  1844  in  ac(piiring  information, 
for  his  fi'ightful  illness,  and  for  his  enforced  idleness 
during  six  months  Mr.  Poor  w\is  never  paid. 


'I 


,'.t 


,i  : 


44 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


In  1840,  Mr.  I'oor  removed  to  Portljind,  to  devote 
liiniself  more  fully  to  the  intereHts  of  the  I'uilvvjiy. 
Rumoi'H  of  war  between  England  and  Ameriea  hav- 
ing alarmed  tin;  Canadians,  discouraged  siil)seri[)tions 
to  the  capital  stock:  a  pai'ty  of  Canadian  gentlemen 
visited  Wasliington  with  Mr.  Pool*.  There  they 
lieard  Mr.  Calhoun's  s[)eech  on  tlie  Oregon  (juestion: 
listened  with  much  interest  to  Hon.  11.  C.  AVinthi'o[)'8 
account  of  the  danyjers  and  difficulties  of  enterini; 
Boston  harbor.  In  a  letter,  Mr.  Poor  says:  "The 
Canadians  left  for  home,  satisfied  that  ccMitinued 
peace  is  in  store  for  us,  full  of  faith  in  our  8U(!cess. 
They  will  now  take  up  the  l)alance  of  the  $1,200,000 
and  go  to  work."  Portland,  June  10,  1840:  "The 
railroad  is  going  on.  Peace  is  secured  for  years  to 
come  by  the  Oregon  Treaty."  Mr.  Tuttle  says : 
"The  woik  of  organizing  under  the  charter,  and  of 
procui'ing  sul)scri[)tions  to  l)uild  the  road,  went  I'ap- 
idly  forwai'd.  Judge  Preble  was  chosen  president, 
and  IMr.  Poor  a  directoi",  oi  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Law- 
rence Railroad  Company  ;  this  being  the  corporate 
name  of  the  American  part  of  the  line."  So  import- 
ant was  the  undertaking  considered,  that  the  Fourth 
of  July,  1846,  was  selected  to  begin  the  construction 
of  the  Portland  end  of  the  line.  In  the  presence  of 
the  assembled  senators  and  representatives  of  Maine, 
and  a  vast  concourse  of  citizens  and  strangers,  and 
with  great  ceremony  and  applause,  the  work  of 
building  began  on  this  memorable  day,  at  Fish  Point, 
at  the  entrance  to  Portland  harbor.  This  must  have 
been  a  proud  day  for  him.  The  Canadian  company 
having  organized,  the  work  of  construction  began 
also  at  Montreal. 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  L'OOJi. 


45 


At  the  time  of  tlieir  visit  to  W.-isliiiighm,  tlie  Cmm- 
(liaii  L'cntU'iiu'ii  tuul  Mr.  JV)or  also  visitt'd  tiio  t'lii^ino 
shops  niid  cjirnmnufju'toru'H  in  Boston,  New  York, uiid 
Phil.'ulelphia,  and  soon  after  Mr.  Pooi-'h  return  to  Poll- 
land  ho  organized  n  eoinpany,  and  procui'cd  for  it  a 
charter,  for  the  manufacture  of  loeomotiveH  and  cai-H. 
This  was  an  entirely  suecesHful  enterprise,  and  a  great 
benefit  to  the  city  as  well  as  to  the  state.  For  some 
yeais  lie  was  president  of  the  ct)mpany,  and  on  re- 
siirning  in  1851  he  received  the  thanks  of  the  officers 
for  "  originating  and  carrying  forward  the  company." 

The  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad  went  la- 
boring on  under  many  difficulties,  but  with  rare  mag- 
nanimity Mr.  Poor  never  relaxed  his  watchful  care 
over  it.  The  question  of  gauge  for  the  road  arose  at 
the  very  beginning,  and  threatened  for  a  time  to 
destroy  all  possibility  of  uniting  the  two  lines  at  the 
border.  Some  of  the  Canadians  wished  to  have  the 
English  broad  gauge  of  six  feet.  A  small  minority, 
under  the  influence  of  Boston  ideas,  desired  the 
gauge  of  four  feet  eight  and  one  half  inches.  A.  C. 
Morton,  Esq.,  the  chief  engineer  of  the  road,  pro- 
posed the  gauge  of  five  feet  six  inches.  This  had 
just  been  fixed  as  the  standard  gauge  for  the  railway 
system  of  British  India,  l)y  a  committee  of  the  Engl- 
ish Parliament,  after  a  lone  and  thorouiijh  investimi- 
tion.  There  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  intrinsically  the 
best  gauge  in  the  world,  but  the  narrow  gauge  would 
nevertheless  have  been  adopted,  but  for  Mr.  Poor's 
great  exertions  then  and  afterwards.  The  blow 
which  had  been  dealt  in  1845  by  the  capitalists  and 
business  men  of  Boston  was  repeated  in  1847.  On 
the  last  of  Julv,  on  the  suwestion  of  some  Boston 


■  ^^1 


.'.t 


46 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


mon,  a  law  was  passed  in  tlie  Canadian  Parliament 
iixing  the  gauge  of  tlie  St.  Lawrence  and  Atlantic 
road  at  four  f{;et  eight  and  one  half  inches,  unless 
the  (rovernor  in  Council  shall  ])y  an  order  in  Coun- 
cil, within  six  calendai'  months,  determine  upon  any 
diiferent  gauge,  etc.,  "and  any  diiferent  gauge  so 
established  shall  be  the  one  used  in  the  said  road," 
etc.  Ilis  interference  led  to  a  long  and  full  investi- 
gation of  the  (piestion  of  gauge  by  the  authorities  of 
Canada,  in  concurrence  with  the  jiublic  men  of 
tlie  Lower  Provinces.  In  October,  1847,  Mr.  Poor 
and  Judge  Preble  were  despatched  to  Montreal  by 
the  Poard  of  Directors  of  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Law- 
rence Railway. 

Accompanied  by  a  delegation  from  the  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Atlantic  Railway 
of  Montreal,  they  had  an  audience  with  Lord  Elgin, 
the  Governor-Genei'al  of  Canada,  and  in  a  week  they 
returned  to  Portland,  bi'inging  with  them  the  "  Order 
in  Council "  establishini>:  the  ij-auo-e  of  five  feet  six 
inches.  Again  in  1851,  wlien  the  question  of  gauge 
for  the  Great  Western  road  of  Canada  was  before 
the  Canadian  Parliament,  ]\Ir.  Poor  went  to  Toronto, 
and  before  the  Parliamentary  Committee  urged  the 
adoption  of  this  gauge  vvdth  success.  The  gauge  of 
the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railway  was  deter- 
mined upon,  therefore,  after  the  fullest  consideration, 
and  Mr.  Poor  hoped,  by  the  ado[)tion  of  a  third  rail, 
ultimately  to  extend  this  gauge  to  Boston  and  New 
Yoik.  Although  the  railroads  recently  built  have 
followed  the  four-feet-eight-and-one-half-inch  gauge, 
simply  because  it  was  fixed  upon  the  country  by  the 


in 


3 


r///?  I./f/^  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


47 


first  riiilroiulM  huilt,  it  inuHt  be  renieinbered  tliat  in 
18-15  t]i(^  ([uestioii  of  m.'Uiii;^  was  uii  ()[)eii  oiu^ 
Notiiliijj:  is  o.'isier  tluin  for  aininl)le  tlicorists  to  criti- 
cise tiie  past  by  tlie  liglit  of  the  present  ;  but  tlic 
2)ioiu'er  succeeds  precisely  because  lie  does  not  clinuf 
to  theories,  but  skilfully  a(hi[)ts  himself  to  the  emer- 
gency of  the  liour.  All  great  institutions  ,u'e  founded 
u[)on  com[)romises ;  but  for  this  the  road  would  not 
hav'e  been  built  at  all  !  Undoubtedly,  too,  the  road 
was  aided  by  the  s(;ntinieiit  of  state;  [)ri(le  in  having 
a  ijrauije  of  its  own,  which  Avas  known  in  Boston  as 
"  John  A.  Poor's  gauge." 

A  ])ublic  s[)eaker  long  afterwards  said  :  "  John  A. 
Poor  was  the  bold  man  that  struck  out  foi*  a  policy 
adverse  to  the  policy  of  Massachuscitts  in  railroad 
nuitters.  He  struck  out  for  the  English  broad  gauge, 
for  the  very  purpose  of  not  having  such  a  comiectioii 
as  would  enable  Poston  to  control  tlie  railroads  of 
Maine  throu<!;li  lier  narrow-jxauo-e  svst<!in.  He  foui^ht 
as  the  lion  fights  for  her  whelps,  in  this  cause  of 
gauges,  and  so  far  as  the  Provinces  and  INIaine  wei'e 
concerned  lie  trium[)hed  foi*  a  s(!ason  ;  and  tlie 
triumph  was  a  progressive  one,  and  a  glorious  one. 
Your  Grand  Trunk  llailway  was  l^uilt  under  tliat 
triumph  in  hostility  to  Massachusetts,  and  especially 
to  Poston.  Poston  fouixht  that,  not  so  mucli  IxK'ause 
they  cared  for  having  a  railroad,  but  they  did  not 
want  a  railroa<l  that  should  ))reak  tlu;  gauge  and 
throw  an  impediment  in  the  current  of  business  to 
their  own  centre.  They  fought  it,  but  they  failed  : 
the  Grand  Trunk  was  laid." 

Mr.  Poor  had  not  forgotten,  liowever,  his  original 


■■^1 


48 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


design  to  buikl  a  single-trunk  line  east,  extending 
ultimately  to  St.  John  and  Halifax,  and  throwing 
off  branches  to  the  other  parts  of  the  state,  north 
and  south.  It  was  pro])osed  to  use  the  Atlantic 
and  St.  La\vrence  Railway,  as  far  east  as  Lewiston, 
then  make  an  extension  to  Gardiner  and  Anojusta, 
with  a  branch  of  Brunswick  and  Bath.  But  as  soon 
as  this  was  proposed,  the  people  of  the  Kennebeck 
valley  began  a  rival  line  to  the  east  from  Portia  , 
on  the  nari'ow  gauge  in  1845.  In  1846  a  broad- 
gauge  line,  called  the  Androscoggin  and  Kennebeck, 
was  started  from  Danville  Junction  east,  by  the 
aid,  and  under  the  auspices  of  the  Atlantic  and  St. 
Lawrence  Railway,  but  only  after  assui'ances  from 
the  latter  company  that  they  would  make  connection 
with  the  roads  leading  out  of  Portland  on  the 
western  side.  As  early  as  1846,  the  directors  of  the 
Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railway,  by  a  committee 
(of  Avhich  Mr.  Poor  was  the  leading  member), 
agreed  that  such  a  connection  should  be  formed, 
and  that  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railway 
Ct)mpany  would  transfer  all  passengers  and  mer- 
chandise desirous  of  going  west  of  Portland,  to  and 
from  the  railway  station  of  the  Boston  roads,  with- 
out unnecessary  delay,  and  without  additional  cost 
or  charce  on  account  of  such  transfer.  This  aijree- 
ment,  made  at  Waterviile,  in  1846,  was  ratified  by 
the  Board  of  Directoi's  of  the  Atlantic  and  St. 
Lawrence  Railway  Company.  The  idea  itself  origi- 
nated ^vith  Mr.  Poor,  who  thus  early  recognized  the 
impolicy  of  placing  an^-^  restriction  upon  railway 
transit.     To  carry  it  out,  he  suggested  the  building 


P 


y 
t. 


T//E  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


49 


of  a  new  street,  extending  across  a  part  of  tlie  city 
from  the  station  of  tlie  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence 
Railway  to  that  of  the  Boston  roads,  on  which  a 
railway  track  should  be  laid.  Strange  to  say,  this 
met  with  most  violent  oppos'tion  from  some  of  the 
liirectors  of  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railway 
and  from  the  owners  of  wharves  and  flats.  But  Mr. 
Poor  persevered  until  the  street  was  built ;  Mr.  Poor 
was  opposed,  howevei",  to  gi'anting  to  any  one  rail- 
way company  the  exclusive  use  of  this  street,  saying, 
"  that  it  should  be  left  open  for  the  use  of  all  rail- 
Avays."  Commercial  Street  has  resulted  in  the  Mar- 
ginal Way,  a  street  one  hundi'ed  feet  wide,  which 
extends  around  the  city  for  three  miles. 

This  war  of  the  gauges  \vas  closed  by  the 
consolidation  into  one  line  of  the  parallel  and  com- 
peting railroads  from  Portland  to  Waterville,  by 
Boston  capital,  with  the  Boston  gauge.  By  this  the 
whole  conti'ol  of  the  business  of  Maine  was  trans- 
ferred to  Boston.  Mr.  Poor  had  maintained  for 
many  years  that^;/*o  rata  rates  for  passengers  should 
be  established  upon  the  Maine  raili'oads,  to  destroy 
the  discrimination  which  had  existed  in  favor  of 
Boston  as  against  Portland.  But  such  a  measure 
would  be  forever  rendered  impossible,  if  the  rail- 
roads were  controlled  in  Boston.  In  May,  1870,  a 
series  of  meetings  was  held  in  the  City  Hall  of 
Portland  for  five  successive  evenings.  Mr.  Poor 
s[)oke  for  four  evenings  ;  at  Waterville,  he  made 
another  speech.  Bnt  consolidation  was  a  foregone 
conclusion ;  the  weakest  must  always  go  to  the 
wall.  The  Boston  newspapers  consolingly  remarked, 


I 


;;■ 


,<.;,' 


.?; 


I!!i 


»'■'■'! 


iJli 


SO 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


"  that  it  Avas  no  wondei*  ]Maine  felt  badly  to  lose 
tlie  control  of  her  railways  ;  the  only  wonder  was 
that  she  had  kept  it  so  long." 

Fortunately  Mr.  Poor  did  not  live  to  see  the  abso- 
lute reversal  of  the  original  sj'^stem.  Since  his  death 
every  prediction  which  he  made  has  l^een  fulfilled. 
The  consolidated  railways  now  extend  to  the  boun- 
dary of  New  Brunswick,  run  around  Portland,  and 
no  stranger  would  imagine  that  a  city  lay  behind  the 
hill ;  the  gauge  has  also  been  narrowed  upon  the 
Grand  Trunk  Railway.  It  was,  of  course,  state 
pride  wliich  inspired  Mr.  Poor's  opposition,  natural 
and  pardonable  in  him,  though  uncommercial.  It 
must  be  distinctly  understood  that  Mr.  Poor  did  not 
oppose  all  ]'ailway  consolidation  of  short  lines  as 
such, — he  Avas  too  sagacious  and  practical  a  man  for 
that, — but  oidy  this  particular  consolidation  as  injuri- 
ous to  INIaine.  lie  would  not  have  objected  to  a 
consolidation  supporting  the  railway  system  of 
Maine,  and  run  in  the  interest  of  Maine.  As  early 
as  1848,  he  wi'ote :  "The  state  of  Maine,  from  its 
geographical  position,  has,  naturally,  less  connection 
with  the  neiixliborins;  States  than  with  the  British 
Provinces.  Iler  railway  system,  now  partially  devel- 
oped, based  u]^>on  the  natural  hiAvs  of  tnide,  has  but 
few  relations  to  the  other  railways  of  New  England, 
and  has  been  projected  upon  a  plan  of  complete 
independence  to  them  all. 

"  Instea<l  of  followingr  the  lead  of  Boston — which 
city  originally  held  all  New  England  in  commercial 
subjection,  arid  now  controls  the  railways  oi  New 
Hampshire,  Vermont,  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island 


■* 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.  51 


and  a  portion  of  Connecticut, — tlie  state  (^f  Maine 
entered  upon  a  railway  system  of  liei-  own  in  1844, 
makinix  tlie  Portland  and  Montreal  road  tlie  base  line 
of  her  operations.  PorfJand  is  the  natural  aeapoi't 
of  the  Canadas.  This  one  statement  explains  to  the 
people  of  other  lands,  the  motive  of  our  exertions, 
and  the  cause  of  our  success,  and  is  the  key  to  the 
whole  movement  toward  building  the  railway  to 
M(Mitreal.     But  the  line  does  not  stop  at  Portland." 

An  important  adjunct  in  the  success  of  the  Mon- 
treal railway  was  so  well  explained  in  an  article  writ- 
ten by  Mr.  Poor,  February  the  seventh,  1848,  that 
we  copy  part  of  it :  "  It  is  now  tlii'ee  years  and  a 
little  more,  that  the  project  of  a  railway  to  Montreal 
has  occupied  tlie  attention  of  our  people.  The  scep- 
ticism and  incredulity  at  first  excited  by  its  sugges- 
tion soon  gave  way  to  a  deliberate  conviction  of  its 
importance ;  and  the  success  which  has  attended  the 
measures  put  forth  by  its  friends  have  nearly,  if  not 
rpiite,  demonstrated  to  the  minds  of  the  most  sceptical 
the  certainty  of  its  ultimate  completion. 

"  In  Canada  the  project  at  the  outset  met  with  gen- 
eral indifferrnce.  A  railway  from  Boston  to  the 
eastern  townships  had  been  somcAvhat  talked  of  in 
Canada  as  a  measure  likely  to  take  place  at  some 
futui'e  day,  but  among  the  mei'chants  of  Montreal  it 
met  with  comparatively  little  favor.  Canada  was  at 
that  time  prosecuting  the  great  system  of  canals, 
with  a  view  to  diverting  the  trade  from  the  Erie 
Canal  through  the  St.  Lawrence.  The  protection 
then  extended  to  colonial  produce  by  the  British 
government  gave  to  Canada  a  monopoly  of  the  ti'ade 


I 


52 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


in  bread-stuffs  between  tliis  continent  and  Great 
Britain.  Had  there  been  no  change  in  the  commer- 
cial relations  between  Canada  and  the  United 
States,  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  the  railway  could 
have  been  carried  through — at  any  rate  without 
great  delay  and  embarrassment — with  the  means  at 
the  command  of  those  first  encrasred  in  it. 

"  The  Portland  and  Montreal  Railway  was  fii^st  sug- 
gested by  the  Welland  and  St.  Lawrence  canals. 
The  idea  was  purely  commercial.  New  York  by  the 
Erie  Canal  had  di-awn  to  her  own  port  the  trade  of 
Lake  Erie  and  the  regions  of  the  lakes  beyond  it. 
Boston  by  the  Western  Railway  had  afterwards 
diverted  a  portion  of  this  trade  to  her  own  doors. 
New  York  and  Massachusetts  on  the  one  side,  and 
Canada  tlirough  the  St.  Lawrence  on  the  other,  were 
striving  for  the  trade  of  the  valley  of  the  lakes,  and 
the  idea  of  a  cheaper  and  more  expeditious  channel 
to  the  sea  had  not  then  been  proposed.  Hence  at 
the  outset  the  Montreal  road  had  to  encounter  oppo- 
sition fi'om  the  shipping  interests  of  Montreal  on  the 
one  hand,  the  merchants  of  New  York  and  Boston 
on  the  other,  and  the  more  formidable  obstacle,  the 
indifference  of  our  own  capitalists  at  home. 

"  Its  success  depended  on  a  change  of  opinion  and 
feelins:  in  Canada.  The  merchants  of  Montreal  had 
at  that  time  no  fear  of  the  consequences  of  our  pro- 
posed drawback  law  upon  their  trade,  or  even  of  its 
passage  for  years  to  come,  and  treated  with  perfect 
indifference  the  suggestion  of  her  losing  the  trade  of 
LTpper  C.*.iada  when  that  project  should  become  a 
law.     The  passage  of  that  law,  and  the  loss  of  trade 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


53 


to  Montreal  iiniuediately  following  it,  was  the  great 
nieasiii'e  wanted  to  ensure  the  hearty  support  of  her 
merchants  to  the  railway. 

"The  supj)lies  for  Canada  AVest  at  once  sought 
their  way  thi'Oiii>h  the  Erie  Canal  instead  of  their 
foi'iner  channel,  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  numerous 
other  projects  sprung  up  at  once,  all  aiming  at  the 
same  object  as  ourselves,  a  moi'e  direct  channel  of 
the  trade  for  the  west  than  the  Erie  Canal  or  the 
St.  Lawrence  River.  The  railway  from  Ogdensburg 
to  Boston  was  proposed  ;  another  from  Cape  Vincent 
or  Sackett's  Harbor  to  Rome  was  projected ;  and 
another  from  Oswego  to  Syracuse  was  got  up  and 
cari'ied  forward  to  com[)letion ;  and  the  New  York 
Erie  Railroad,  which  had  been  suspended,  was  re- 
vived and  put  in  progress.  The  Concord  and  Stan- 
stead  road,  the  Cheshire  road,  the  t^vo  roads  from 
the  Connecticut  River  to  Burlington  were  all  pushed 
vigorously  forward  by  the  respective  friends  of  each  ; 
some  of  them,  as  was  remarked  at  the  time  by  one 
of  the  Boston  papers,  *  for  the  purpose  of  heading 
off  the  Portland  and  Montreal  Railway.' 

"Among  all  the  projects  named  there  is  not  one  that 
has  gone  forward  ^vith  so  much  success,  under  all 
circumstances,  as  our  own.  Without  attempting 
more  than  we  could  perform,  the  steady  perse\er- 
ance  of  its  friends  and  the  impregnable  advantages 
of  our  position  have  given  our  enterprise  a  standing 
and  a  name  beyond  that  of  any  railway  project  in 
the  country. 

Montreal  is  the  natural  depot  of  the  business  of 
the  St.  Lawi'ence  valley.     At  the  head  of  sea  navi- 


■■•I 


■.'.( 


^■\ 


,  1i 


'!* 


^•1 


% 


ii 


'1', 


i  i}: 
ji   ft 


54 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


gfttion,  and  i\i  tho  foot  of  the  great  canals  connecting 
her  with  tlie  lakes,  the  i)olicy  of  Canada  must  for- 
ever give  her  the  connuand  of  the  trade  of  tlu?  St. 
Lawrence.  She  could  now  dra^v  the  trade  from  the 
Erie  Canal  to  her  wiiarves,  if  her  proi>obed  outlets 
to  the  sea  were  o[)en. 

"But  a  (question  more  important  to  Cana(hi  than  our 
dmwback  law  has  since  occurred — a  chani-e  of  tlie 
conunercial  system  of  Great  Bi'itain.  If  any  measure 
were  wanted  to  ensui'e  the  com[)letion  of  our  railway, 
the  repeal  of  the  corn-laws  would  only  ]>e  re([uired. 
To  the  cousteniation  and  sui'prise  of  the  British  col- 
onies, this  repeal  came  years  before  it  was  generally 
believed  possible;  and  from  and  after  February  1, 
IS-tO,  all  protection  to  colonial  produce  is  to  be  Avith- 
drawn.  The  famine  in  Ireland  last  year  led  to  a 
suspension  of  the  corndaws  till  March  1,  1848,  and 
the  trade  in  bread-stuffs  betweeii  this  country  and 
Great  Britain  the  first  year  has  been  free.  This  has 
given  Canada  a  foretaste  of  her  future  position  under 
a  permanent  system  of  free  trade  in  bread-stiiifs.  It 
has  revobitionized  opinion  throughout  Canada.  Un- 
conditional free  trade  is  now  demanded,  and  a  repeal 
of  tlie  navigation  laws.  The  Portland  Railway  fi'oni 
an  object  of  mdift'ereuce  has  now  become  the  favorite 
and  paramount  measure,  not  only  of  Montreal,  but 
of  Canada. 

"  The  political  opinion  has  been  as  much  affected 
as  the  commei'cial  ideas  of  Canada  within  the  last 
four  years.  There  is  not  time  noAV  to  review  her 
histoiy,  and  I  allude  to  it  only  in  connection  with  its 
beai'ijig  upon  the  railway.     The  troubles  of  1837  ai'e 


.1 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.  55 


still  fresh  in  miiul.  lu  1838  Lord  Broiisiluiin  urged 
tlie  Whig  ministry  to  adopt  measures  for  'uniting 
to^'etlier  the  whole  of  our  North  Amei'ieaii  posses- 
sions, to  form  un  independent  and  ih^irisliing  state 
which  may  balance  tlie  colossal  empire  of  the 
west.' 

"The  advice  of  the  greatest  of  British  statesmen 
was  unheeded,  and  Canada  has  been  convulsed  with 
political  dissensions.  The  great  struggle  has  been  on 
the  question  of  '  responsible  govei'nment,'  which 
principally  caused  the  outl)reak  in  1837  in  Upper 
Canada ;  Lord  Durham,  Lord  Sydenham,  and  Sir 
Charles  Bagot  favoring  the  Liberal  pai-ty,  and  Lord 
Metcalfe  the  Tory.  The  present  Whig  ministry  have 
taken  up  the  idea  of  Lord  Brougham ;  and  in  a 
despatch  from  Eai'l  Grey  to  Lord  Elgin  of  December 
31,  1846,  his  Lordship  clearly  indicated  the  union  of 
all  the  British  American  colonies  as  an  ultimate 
ineasui'e,  and  proposed  a  meeting  of  delegates  or 
commissioners  to  agree  upon  such  preliminary  ar- 
rangements as  w^ould  favor  this  plan.  A  meeting  of 
these  delegates  took  place  in  Montreal  in  September 
last,  where,  among  other  measures,  the  Portland  Hall- 
way came  up  for  discussion,  and  the  gauge  of  five 
feet  six  inches  was  adopted  in  concurrence  with  the 
views  of  the  commissioners  from  the  Lower  British 
Provinces. 

"In  18'44  the  Liberal  ministry  of  Canada,  of  Sir 
Charles  Bagot,  disagreed  with  Lord  Metcalfe  on  the 
question  of  responsible  government,  and  I'esigned 
their  places  on  the  ground  of  certain  o]:>jectionable 
appointments.     Parliament  was  dissolved,  and  a  new 


V^'T 


S6 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


election  ordered.  The  Tory  party  came  into  power, 
and  Sir  Allan  McNabb  was  elected  Speakvjr  of  the 
AH8eni])ly  by  a  majority  of  three  votes  over  the  lion. 
Mr.  Moi'in.  But  since  the  arrival  of  Lord  Kl^jin  the 
Metcalfe  ministry  have  failed  to  connnand  a  working 
majority  in  the  Assend)ly,  and  a  new  electioi;  was 
ordered  some  eight  or  ten  months  befc^re  the  expn'a- 
tion  of  the  former  Parliament. 

"  In  this  new  election,  the  commercial  policy  of 
Canada  was  a  new  element  in  the  controversy,  and 
the  Liberal  party  came  out  strongly  for  unconditional 
free-trade.  Many  of  the  merchants  of  Monti'eal  who 
had  formerly  voted  with  the  Tory  i)arty  united  with 
the  Liberals,  and  Messrs.  La  Fontaine  and  Holmes 
were  proj)osed  as  candidates  for  Montreal,  and 
triumphantly  elected  upon  their  pledges  of  su2>port 
to  the  principles  of  free  trade,  and  government  aid 
to  the  Portland  Railway. 

"  The  meeting:  of  Parliament  is  fixed  for  the  fourth 
of  March  next,  and  jNIr.  Morin,  who  is  to  be  ])resident 
of  the  Portland  Railway,  will  undoubtedly  be  one  of 
the  new  ministry.  In  his  annual  re[)ort,  iis  president 
of  the  railway,  he  gives  notice  that  application  will 
be  made  by  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Atlantic  Railway 
Company  to  the  next  Parliament  for  aid  in  such 
form  as  will  be  most  acce2)table  to  the  government. 
The  Montreal  Herald  of  tlie  2Gth  January,  in  its 
summary  of  ue^vs  for  the  European  mail,  says  :  '  The 
Legislature,  at  its  next  meeting,  will  grant  a 
guaranty  for  a  dividend  of  six  per  cent,  in  favor  of 
the  shareholders  in  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Atlantic 
Railway.'    It  will  be  recollected  that  Lord  Elgin,  in 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         <,*j 

his  address  to  tlie  people  of  the  colonies,  on  iissuinini^ 
tlie  reins  of  lijovernnient,  pledged  himself  to  render 
all  j)r()i)er  aid  and  encouraL^enient  to  [)u))lic  improve- 
ments, and  all  those  measnivs  calculated  to  j)romote 
intercourse  and  develop  the  resources  of  the  country. 

"The  ciunniercial  and  political  changes  in  Canada 
have  been  largely  aft'ected  by  the  incieasing  inter- 
course Avith  the  United  States,  and  the  iiujuiry  is 
openly  made  among  themselves  of  the  comparative 
advantages  of  colonial  dependence, — of  a  se[)ai'ate 
government  composed  of  all  the  British  North  Ameri- 
can colonies,  or  of  a  union  with  the  United  States. 

"It  was  distinctly  asserted  by  the  authorities  of 
the  British  government,  a  few  years  since,  that  to 
^  ield  to  the  demand  of  the  Radicals  of  Canada  for 
responsible  government  was  a  virtual  separation  of 
the  colonies  from  the  crown.  These  princi[)Ies  are 
now  triumphant  in  Canada  as  well  as  in  Nova  Scotia, 
after  the  fullest  and  fairest  trial,  and  tlie  recent 
movement  toward  a  colonial  union  was  stated  by 
one  of  the  delemites  to  be  an  intimation  to  the 
colonies,  in  behalf  of  the  home  government,  to  take 
cai'e  c)f  themselves.  The  time  M'as  Avlien  Great 
Britain,  would  have  pei'illed  every  thing  for  the  pur- 
pose of  retaining  these  colonies.  The  extent  of  her 
colonial  possessions  has  satiated  the  love  of  domin- 
ion, and  the  prevalence  of  free-trade  principles  has 
laid  the  foundation  for  a  conn)lete  change  of  colonial 
[)olicy.  Commercial  and  uot  ])olitical  connectives 
are  now  the  aim  and  object  of  British  statesmen. 

"  Maine  is  the  natural  sea-coast  of  the  Canadas. 
Every  thing  now  betokens  a  speedy  realization  of 


♦  ■'? 


'•.•?i 
''^1 


i 


■  ..\ 


Mi 


w 


58 


FIRST  INTERXATIONAL  RAILWAY, 


the  tnitli  of  Uiis  rcniiirk.  C'aiiadii  will  sudu  be  at 
tile  l>t)iiii(lury  with  her  railway,  oil  her  way  to  the 
sea.     Shall  wo  meet  her  (here?  " 

111  184S  Mr.  Poor  went  b(!for(!  the  Le<jjishitiv(;  Com- 
mittees  of  New  llam|whire  and  \'ermoiit  to  [)r()cure 
chartei'8  across  these  states,  lie  iiujt  with  much 
o[)])ositiou  fj'oiii  the  Boston  inlluence,  all  powerful 
there,  hut  iinallv  succeeded  in  his  delicate  mission. 
In  KS4U  th(^  road  threatened  to  be  l)rouu:ht  to  a 
standstill  for  want  of  mt)iiey.  Mr.  Poor,  afterwards, 
wrote  ill  relation  to  this:  *' The  people  of  Portland 
and  Canada  eiiil)ark(!d  their  means  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railway 
with  coiilidence  in  its  idtimate  success,  but  with- 
out being  able  to  see  in  what  precise  mode, 
or  from  what  particular  source,  the  looked-for 
assistance  would  come.  This  feeling  of  confidence 
forever  llagged  when  tliey  had  expended  a 
million  dollars  at  each  end  of  the  line,  and 
failed  to  .see  the  expected  assistance  from  England 
coming  to  its  support.  The  report  of  the  directors 
of  the  com[)any  in  ISiO,  concurred  in  by  a  very 
huge  majoi'ity  of  the  board,  was  regarded  abroad  as 
an  admission  of  defeat ;  or,  at  any  rate,  of  a  prolonged 
suspension  of  the  work, — a  result  e([ually  fatal  to 
the  interests  of  Portland.  Had  the  proposed  sus- 
pension then  taken  place,  the  completion  of  the  line 
would  have  been  postponed  to  an  indefinite  period. 
The  jMontreal  Company  would  in  that  event  hi, 
confined  its  exertions,  for  a  long  time  to  come,  to  ti 
completion  of  the  line  to  Quel)ee,  and  the  Boston 
roads  would  have  secured  the  great  prize  for  \vhich 


I 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         59 


[II 
li 


'■:f 
■I 


1 


we  liiid  coiitciidtMl.  This  was  tln3  critical  period  in 
tlio  history  of  Poitland  and  of  the  Montreal  Rail- 
road. I'lit  the  plan  by  which  the  road  was  carried 
throuuh  in  1841),  aiul  1850  —  the  contiact  with 
lilack,  Wood,  h  Co. — was  the  salvation  ol"  the  liiu^ 
It  was  a  plan  of  my  own  creatiiiii;.  Morton  and 
Gait  aided,  but  the  plan  was  my  own;  the  results  of 
our  interview  at  Lebanon  in  1840,  in  which  Cralt, 
IJlack,  Wood,  Morton,  and  myself  took  ])art,  were 
clearly  stated  by  me  before  the  nieetinn".  I  lost  my 
election  as  director  in  1849  through  the  jealousy  of 
some  and  the  hostility  of  others  to  the  plan  itself; 
yet  I  had  the  j)leasure  of  seeing  the  plan  adopted  in 
all  its  pai'ts.  1  urged  the  payment  of  a  large  price 
for  the  work,  as  the  only  uieans  of  saving  the  con- 
tractors from  failure,  and  this  wise  policy  was 
violently  assailed  at  the  time,  but  the  contract  with 
IJlack,  AVood,  ct  Co.  was  the  salvation  of  the  line." 
The  plan  was  to  place  the  whole  road  under  contract 
as  one  line. 

^Ii-.  Poor  spent  the  winter  and  spring  of  1841)  at 
the  Astor  House,  New  York ;  and  purchased  the 
Americcui  lidihvm/  Journal,  which  afterwards  was 
owned  and  edited  by  Mr.  Ilenry  Varniim  Poor.  He 
was  urged  to  stay  in  New  York,  and  after  lie  was 
turned  out  oi  the  directorship  of  the  Atlantic  and 
St.  La\vrence  Kaihvay  wouhl  have  been  perfectly 
Justified  in  so  doing;  but,  with  I'are  magnanimity, 
remained  in  Portland.  The  Gas-Light  Company 
having  fallen  into  difficulties,  the  work  liad  been 
suspended  ;  Mr.  Poor  was  chosen  president  of  the 
compan^',  held  the  office  until  the  sale  of  half  of  the 


M 


n 


6o 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  \VA  V. 


capital  stock  to  the  city  placed  the  company  on 
a  fiiiii  l)asis,  and  resiij^iied  the  presidency  in  1852, 
receiving  the  thanks  of  the  company. 

In  1851  Mr.  Poor  was  chosen  pi'esident  of  the 
York  and  Cumberland,  now  the  Portland  and  llocli- 
ester  Railway,  lie  carried  the  road  successfully 
throui^di  a  lawsuit  with  the  contractors,  reora'anized 
the  company,  and  secured  the  building  of  the  line 
from  Gorham  to  the  Saco  River.  In  connection 
with  this  I'oad,  a  j)lan  was  suggested  for  a  continuous 
track  around  Back  Cove,  to  render  that  subui'b  more 
accessible  to  Poi'tland.  He  resigned  the  presidency 
in  1852,  receiving  the  thanks  of  the  company. 

On  iiis  return  from  Monti'eal,  in  1847,  he  pub- 
lished two  articles  in  the  BdiK/or  M ///(/,  in  relation 
to  the  railroad  to  8t.  John  ;  and  wrote  as  follows  to 
his  brother,  i\»rtland,  Decembei-  1,  1847  : 

"  I  beg  of  y(  u  to  put  forward  the  petition  for  the 
St.  John  railroad.  !)(>,  I  pray  and  beg,  put  that 
along.  It  is  time  and  high  time  to  do  it.  .  .  . 
You  want  a  reconnaissance  this  fall.  You  can  get 
one,  if  you  start  now  ;  as  soon  as  you  move,  we  will 
s([uare  away  at  it  here."  j\[r.  Poor  also  wrote  arti- 
cles npon  the  subject  of  the  I'oad  to  St.  John,  which 
were  forwarded  to  Montreal  and  incorporate(l  into 
the  annual  re[)oi'ts  of  the  directors  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence and  Atlantic  Ilailway  for  two  successive  years, 
a  fact  Avhicli  has  never  before  been  made  known  to 
the  public. 

The  followlni?  account  of  a  rival  scheme  was  writ- 
ten  ])y  Mr.  Poor  afterwards  :  "  No  sooner  liad  the 
Portland  and  Montreal   Ilailway  been  fairly  entered 


wm 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         6i 

upon,  and  the  plan  of  the  line  east  from  Poi'tland 
to  Halifax  suggested,  than  the  rival  jiroject  of  a  rail- 
way from  Quel)cc  to  Halifax  was  f-^tarted,  and  threw 
nnicli  endjarrassment  in  the  way  of  Portland.  The 
more  immediate  dependence  of  the  people  of  the 
Lower  Provinces  ni)on  England,  and  the  str<mg 
antipathy  of  the  people  of  Nova  Scotia  to  the 
Yankees,  gave  force  and  vigor  to  the  eifort.  The 
Pn^vinces  paid  for  a  s\irvey,  and  offered  £20,000 
sterling  annually  each,  and  any  amount  of  public 
lami.;  on  the  route  in  case  the  home  oi'  im])erial 
government  would  undertake  the  accomplishment 
of  the  scheme.  For  a  time  it  diverted  the  attention 
of  Canjida  {^Iv.  Poor  and  Judge  Preble  met  the 
agents  of  the  Quel)ec  and  Halifax  road  at  Monti-eal 
in  1847),  but  the  idea  itself  was  destitute  of  com- 
mercial merit.  After  much  di[)lomatic  shuHling,  the 
JJritish  ministry,  by  a  despatch  of  Earl  (irey,  under 
date  of  June  19,  1850,  gave  a  decided  negative 
to  the  a})plication  of  the  Pritish  Provinces  foi*  as- 
sistance to  the  (Quebec  and  Halifax  line  ;  and  the 
peo[»le  of  th.e  Lower  Provinces  at  once  gave  support 
to  the  Portlai\d  route.  (Quebec  pro])osed  to  connect 
with  the  Poi'tland  and  Montreal  road  at  Richmond, 
ft)rniinix  thereby  her  connection  with  the  Atlantic 
coast  at  Portland  instead  of  Halifax  ;  and  also  con- 
nection with  Montreal,  and  event'ially  wit''  the 
Lower  Provinces." 

Li  1850,  tlierefore,  the  Quebec  and  Halifax  scheme 
being  disposed  of,  the  extension  of  the  railroad  from 
Portland  u»  M'.oitreal  l)eine:  assured  by  the  contract 
with  Black,  Wood,  tfe  Co.,  Commercial  IStreet  being 


•J 
:  I 

.■J 


;:* 


I! 


i''; 


62 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


provided  for,  the  two  rival  lines  to  the  east  having 
readied  AVaterville,  Mi*.  Poor's  plan  for  the  raihvay 
to  St.  Jolm  began  to  crystallize. 

Mr.  Tuttle  says  :  "  Early  in  the  summer  of  1850 
he  petitioned  the  Legishitiire  to  authorize  a  survey 
to  discover  the  best  and  most  practicable  route 
between  Bangor  and  the  New  Brunswick  line  for  tliis 
road.  In  this  petition  he  took  occasion  to  present 
strong  reasons  why  the  state  should  favor  the 
building  of  this  railway.  Very  soon  aftei',  as  cliairman 
of  a  committee  of  citizens  of  Portland,  he  issued  a 
circular-letter  addressed  to  the  Governor  and  Council 
and  the  Legislature  of  Maine,  and  also  to  railroad 
companies  and  to  friends  of  public  improvement,  in 
the  United  States  and  in  the  British  Provinces, 
inviting  them  to  attend  a  convention  at  Portland, 
to  consider  the  project  by  which  it  was  claimed 
the  transit  between  the  two  continents  would  be 
reduced  to  five  days,  and  ])etween  London  and  New 
York  to  seven."  The  idea  of  the  convention  exposed 
Mr.  Poor  to  merciless  ridicule. 

Mr.  Poor  wrote  :  "  The  earliest  maps  and  charts 
of  North  America  were  projected  upon  the  simplest 
laws  of  navigati<^n,  in  view  of  the  then  existing  com- 
merce of  the  world.  That  portion  of  this  continent 
which  approaclies  nearest  to  Europe  formed  the  base- 
line of  their  calculations,  and  the  distance  across  the 
Atlantic  v/as  shown  to  be  1,700  miles,  and  not  3,000 
miles,  as  commonly  stated  in  modern  geographies. 
These  teach  us  that  the  passage  of  the  Atlantic  is 
3,000  miles  simply  because  the  common  route  of 
travel  is  between  points  thus  remote — New  York 


f,^ 


m 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


(>i 


and  Liverpool.  T,i  oiii'  pi-oposal  to  sliorten  the 
transit  l)etwecri  New  York  and  London,  we  are 
merely  revising  and  bringing  into  practice  the  ideas 
clearly  entertained  by  tlie  great  navigators  of  the 
fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries.  The  idea  of  an 
Atlantic  ferry,  according  to  Loi-d  Bacon,  between 
those  points  '  where  the  ends  did  nearest  meet,'  has 
been  a  controlling  sentiment  ever  since  John  and 
Sebastian  Cabot  discovered  Newfoundland  in  1497, 
months  before  Columbus  came  in  sight  of  the  main- 
land of  the  continent." 

From  a  history  of  the  European  and  North  Ameri- 
can Railway,  published  in  the  Portland  Advertiser 
December  27,  1869,  ^\e  take  the  following  account 
of  the  convention :  *'  The  seal  of  the  European 
and  North  American  Railway  Company  represents 
what  twenty  years  ago  Avas  familiarly  known  as  the 
Atlantic  Ferry.  In  the  spring  of  1850  the  Britannia 
tubular  brid  \e  across  the  Menai  Striiit  had  been 
opened,  and  ihe  trains  from  London  on  the  North- 
western line  swept  past  Liverpcjol,  over  the  strait 
and  out  into  the  Irish  Channel  to  Holyhead,  whence 
in  three  hours  and  a  half  the  steamers  i-an  to  Dublin. 
From  Dublin  the  Midland  Railway  of  Ii'eland  was 
already  half  completed,  ai;  ^ig  at  Gahvay  Bay 
on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  from  Galway  to  Nova 
Scotia — the  nearest  portion  of  the  American  conti- 
nent— the  distance  is  hardly  2,000  miles,  and  the 
Collins  lihe  had  just  been  subsidized  for  ten  years 
by  the  United  States  to  ply  between  New  York  and 
Glasgow.  The  route  from  Galwav  to  Halifax,  savin^^ 
oue  third  of   the  distance  over  seas,  was  happily 


64 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


iiiiined  tlie  Atlantic  Fei'iy,  and  tiie  Britannia  bridge 
even  snijfgested  tlie  possibility  of  still  further  short- 
ening the  sea-voyage  l)y  bi'idging  the  Gut  of  Canao, 
and  sail'ng  from  Louisburg  in  Ca])e  Breton. 

"  The  convention  ussendjled  in  the  City  Hall  on  the 
thirty-first  of  July,  and  was  a  great  and  indisputable 
success.  The  walls  of  the  hall  were  hung  with  maps 
of  New  Brunswick,  Nova  Scotia,  Canada,  and  the 
New  England  States,  and  the  best  English  charts  of 
the  Amei'ican  coast  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Behind 
the  president's  chair  a  map  of  the  proposed  line  was 
displayed,  measuring  eleven  feet  by  eighteen,  and  on 
either  side  liung  the  Cross  of  St.  George  and  the 
Stars  and  Stripes.  From  the  roof  of  the  building 
tlie  flags  of  the  two  English-speaking  nations  floated 
side  by  side.  Governed-  Hubbard  presided  with 
great  dignity.  The  Extcnitive  Council,  both  branches 
of  the  Legislature,  the  judges  of  the  State  and  United 
States  Courts,  the  reverend  clergy,  and  the  leading 
business  men  of  Maine,  from  Portland  to  Calais, 
min<ji;led  with  the  deletrates  from  Canada,  New 
Brunswick,  and  Nova  Scotia.  Leading  members  of 
the  provincial  parliaments  and  governments  were  in 
attendance  as  delei^ates.  It  was  the  first  social  re- 
union  of  American  rebels  and  loyal  colonists,  after 
the  angry  separation  seventy  years  before,  and  a  fine 
glow  of  fraternal  feeling  pervaded  the  assembly. 
Dr.  Chickering  prayed  for  a  divine  blessing  on  the 
delil)erations  of  the  convention.  Memorials  were 
read  from  railroad  meetings  at  Bangor,  Calais,  Bridge- 
town, Fredericton,  St.  Stephen,  St.  John,  Annapolis, 
Amherst,    Pugwash,   Wallace,   Truro,   Pictou,    Dor- 


m 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


65 


Chester,  Windsor,  Kciitsville,  and  (Irjuiville.  Let- 
ters were  received  from  President  Fillmore,  who  said 
snbstantially  nothing;  Edward  Everett,  who  thonght 
the  })assage  to  Liverpool  wonld  1)e  reduced  to  nine 
days ;  fi'om  our  Maine  Senators  and  Congi'essmen, 
wlio  weiv  watchino;  the  Futritive  Slave  Bill  in  AVash- 
iiigton,  and  could  not  get  away  ;  from  M.  F.  Maury, 
wlio  obligingly  hinted  that  Congress  ought  to  give 
some  ])art  of  tlie  public  domain  to  the  entei'prlse  as 
a  niilitai'}'  road  ;  from  Charles  Sunniei-,  who  quoted 
Tibullus : 

'  Quum  bene  Saturno  vivehnnt  rege  ;  priusquam 
Tell  us  in  longas  est  patefacta  vias,' 

in  order  to  say  that,  in  his  opinic^n,  Tibullus  was 
mistaken,  and  the  Golden  Age  was  still  to  come, 
after  the  long  ways  ai"e  opened.  Latin  was  as  free 
as  water  in  the  convention. 

"The  oidy  ripple  of  dispute  was  occasioned  by 
the  proposition  of  Mr.  J.  AV.  AV.  Johnston,  of  Hali- 
fax, to  connect  by  steamer  across  tlje  Bay  of  Fundy, 
and  he  \vas  put  down  at  once  by  Mr.  Gi'ay,  of  St. 
John,  who  favored  an  all-rail  route,  and  said  '  the 
Bay  of  Fundy  Avas  a  statio  malefida  cai'inis.'  For 
three  days  the  enthusiasm  kept  mounting  higher  and 
higher,  reaching  the  maximum  when  General  Dear- 
born, of  Itoxbury,  predicted  that  within  live  years 
he  should  ride  over  the  road  to  Halifax,  and  there 
enibai'k  for  Gal  way,  Holyhead,  and  London. 

After  adopting  rose-coloi'ed  resolutions  and  choos- 
ing an  executive  committee,  the  convention  at  last 
adjourned  with  "three  notabh;  and  astounding 
cheers."     AIi-.  Poor,  who  had  been  repeatedly  recog- 


, )     H 


.  \: 


66 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


W^-A 


\i 


nized  as  the  moving  spirit  of  the  enterprise,  tlioiigh 
modestly  disclaiuiiiig  any  credit,  was  made  cliairman 
of  the  committee. 

Tlie  convention  naturally  excited  great  attention 
at  home  and  abroad.  Speaking  of  it,  the  BoHton 
Journal  said  :  ''  The  convention  wfis  one  of  the  most 
pleasing,  interesting,  and  important  which  have  been 
lield  in  our  country  for  many  years.  ...  Of  the 
importance  of  the  proposed  v/ork  there  can  be  but 
one  opinion." 

The  London  Chronv'le  (England)  of  October  81, 
1850,  said  :  "  The  great  importance  of  th  s  jii'oject  to 
the  United  States  is  so  evident  that  t  does  not 
require  further  notice ;  but  to  the  British  Provinces, 
and,  in  connection  with  them,  to  Great  Britain,  the 
advantages  are  so  vast,  that  it  may  not  be  out  of 
place  to  point  out  where  and  in  what  way  they  may 
be  best  employed.  The  C(mvention  appears  to  have 
selected  Gal  way,  on  the  west  of  Ireland,  and  White- 
haven, Cape  Canso,  in  Nova  Scotia,  for  packet  stations, 
...  Of  the  advantages  Ireland  "would  derive  from 
such  an  establishment,  an  estimate  can  hardly  be 
formed ;  but  to  make  her  the  highway  and  place 
of  embarkation  to  and  from  the  New  World,  foi'  the 
tens  of  thousands  who  annually  cross  the  Atlantic, 
must  bring  advantages  that  will  materially  aid  in 
rescuing  her  from  the  misery  and  degradation  under 
which  the  people  are  suffering.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  promoters  of  this  project  may  find  any 
appeal  they  may  make  in  this  countiy,  either  to 
the  government  for  countenance  or  to  the  public 
for  assistance,  i  ay  receive  the  attention  it  deserves. 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


67 


111 

br 

fy 

Ito 
ic 


From  all  that  is  shown  it  promises  well  as  an  invest- 
ment for  capital ;  bnt  that  it  is  an  undei'taking  of 
great  im[)ortaiiee,  both  politically  and  commercially, 
is  beyond  conti'adiction.  It  may  interfei'e  with  the 
p.'U'ticulai'  interests  of  companies  now  established,  and 
may  divert  some  portions  of  trade  from  the  present 
channels;  bnt  the  British  Provinces,  and  conse- 
(piently  the  mother  conntry,  will  be  great  gainers  if 
this  enter[)rise  is  accomplished,  and  in  this  sense  the 
pnblic  will  valne  it." 

The  ]>^ew  York  Journal  of  Commerce  notices  the 
convention  and  the  scheme  in  the  following  manner : 
"This  convention  excited  the  most  extraordinary  in- 
terest, not  only  from  its  numbers,  but  for  the  display 
of  business  talent,  and  of  the  most  exciting  ehxpience. 
We  have  looked  over  the  account  of  the  proceedings, 
and  can  but  consider  the  convention  as  one  of  the 
most  fortunate  events  of  the  times.  .  .  .  Much  of 
interest  that  attaches  to  the  scheme  i^rows  out  of  its 
international  and  intercolonial  character." 

The  Fredei'kton  (New  Brunswick)  Ilead-Quarftrs 
said  :  "  This  magnificent  project  was  not  pi'ovincial ; 
it  was  not  colonial ;  it  was  not  national ;  it  was  cos- 
mop(»litaii.  It  laid  a  massive  hand  upon  the  world's 
necessities ;  and  finding  us  athwart  the  directest 
practical)le  route,  proposed  for  its  own  great  pur- 
poses to  lay  down  a  road  which,  while  created  for 
and  controlled  by  those  paramount  interests,  would 
yet,  as  a  fortnnate  incident,  bring  us  into  communi- 
cation with  the  other  world." 

The  executive  committee  at  once  opened  communi- 
cations with  the  British  and  American  gov^ernments 


68 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


..;-! 


concerning  mail  contracts,  with  tlic  directors  of  the 
Midland  llailway  of  Ireland,  with  the  proprietors  of 
the  Canard  and  Collins  steamers,  and  with  the 
various  railway  companies  between  New  York  and 
London.  The  Maine  Legislature  granted  a  cliarter 
foi'thwith,  appropriated  $5,000  to  survey  the  route  in 
this  state,  and  instructed  the  Governor  to  apply  to 
the  United  States  for  aid.  In  New  Brunswick  a 
charter  was  granted  in  March,  1851,  with  liberal 
land  grants,  and  a  cash  subsidy  erpial  to  the  private 
subsci'i})tions  which  might  from  time  to  time  be 
expended  upon  the  line.  In  Nova  Scotia  the  Hon. 
Joseph  Howe,  of  the  Executive  Council,  in  a  speech 
of  remarkable  brilliancy  and  force,  had  taken  the 
ground  that  the  railway  should  be  a  public  highway, 
and  as  such  should  be  built  by  the  g<n'ei'nment,  and 
he  had  accordingly  been  sent  to  England  to  secure 
an  imperial  guaranty  to  the  Nova  Scotia  bonds  to 
be  issued  for  this  purpose.  The  guaranty  was 
granted  in  1851,  with  some  I'eluctance,  on  condition 
that,  by  the  co-operation  of  Ne^v  Brunswick  and 
Canada,  a  connection  should  be  secured  through 
British  territory,  from  Halifax  to  Quebec.  The  line 
of  such  a  road  had  been  surveyed  by  the  imperial 
government  when  the  Portland  and  Monti'eal  I'oad 
was  begun,  and  the  colonial  line  was  a  revival  of  the 
same  project,  thrice  abandoned  l)ut  never  forgotten. 
The  condition  proved  too  onerous,  and  Mr.  Howe's 
mission  came  to  nothing. 

In  1851  Mr.  Howe  visited  Portland,  and  made  an 
eloquent  speech  in  favor  of  the  Halifax  and  Quebec 
road,  and  he  was  answered  by  Mr.  Poor,  speaking 


C 
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tol 

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ip 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR, 


69 


e  an 
ebec 
"king 


%. 


a- 


for  tlie  European  ami  Xorth  American  road  as  inter- 
mitioiial  ami  coiumeroial  rather  than  intercoloiiiul 
and  political. 

In  1851  yiv.  Poor's  committee  applied  to  the 
Massachusetts  Legislature  for  a  grant  of  the  public 
lands  in  Mahie  belonging  to  the  former  state,  and 
came  very  near  obtaining  them.  Very  favorable 
reports  were  made  by  both  V)ranches  of  the  Legisla- 
tui-e,  l)ut  Avere  defeated  by  small  majorities.  In 
1852,  he  applied  again  to  tlie  Massachusetts  Legisla- 
ture, and  a  joint  connnittee  from  both  branches, 
embi'at'inij:  their  al)lest  men  and  including:  lion. 
Caleb  Gushing,  and  lion.  K.  B.  Curtis,  afterwai'ds 
Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States, 
after  full  hearing  and  investigation,  nnanimously 
agreed  to  re[)ort  a  bill  loaning  the  credit  of  the 
state  to  the  amount  of  ^500,000.  liut  the  bill  was 
defeated  by  the  combined  influence  of  the  merchants 
of  Boston,  the  attorneys  of  the  Vermont  railways,  and 
the  agent  of  the  Cunard  steamers.  Failing  in  this, 
Mr.  Poor  persuaded  the  Legislature  of  Maine  to 
purchase  the  lauds  from  Massachusetts.  In  1852,  he 
was  appointed  one  of  two  connnissloners  to  conduct 
the  sale,  and  Maine  became  the  owner  of  all  her 
public  lands. 

In  1852,  Mr.  Poor's  committee  ap})lied  to  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  for  aid.  ]\Ir.  Poor 
wrote  to  the  Maine  members  of  Coni;;ress  :  "  The 
great  [)oint  to  be  aimed  at,  is  the  passag'-  of  the  land 
bill  now  awaiting  the  action  of  the  Senate,  granting 
to  Maine  1,350,000  acres  of  the  public  lands  of  the 
United  States  (known  as  Bennetts'  land  bill).    If  this 


«  ■  ■ ,( 


■  '■■'■  K'i 


'■ 


70 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAI.  RAIL  WA  Y. 


land  can  be  secured  in  uid  of  this  y^wxxi  road,  it  will 
be  l)uilt."  And  lie  drew  a  bill  Lciving  these  lands 
and  ]>(!i'nianent  mail  contraets  to  the  European  and 
North  American  Railway  Com[)any.  This  \\as  one 
of  the  railway  bills  which  have  since  been  adopted 
by  comj)anies  asking  land  grants ;  but  Bennetts' 
land  bill  did  not  pass.  The  road  Avas  presented 
as  a  means  of  shortening  the  mails,  and  supported 
by  I'esolves  from   the  Legislature  of  jVbiine. 

In  1852,  lion.  Francis  Ilincks,  a  leading  statesman 
of  Canada,  went  to  England  to  seek  assistance  from 
the  imperial  government  toAvai'ds  building  a  trunk 
line  of  railway  for  Canada.  By  means  of  the  branch 
from  Richmond  on  the  line  of  the  St.  Lawi-ence  and 
Atlantic  Railway  to  Quebec  it  would  extend  from 
Quebec  to  Montreal,  from  thence  to  Toront(^,  and 
could  be  prolonged  as  far  as  desirable.  Wearied  out 
with  the  delays  of  ,he  Colonial  Office,  he  finally 
decided  to  adopt  a  commercial  basis,  and  made 
arrangements  for  the  building  of  the  line  with  the 
l>rinci[)al  firm  of  English  railway  contractors,  Messrs. 
Jackson,  Brassey,  Peto,  and  Betts.  One  of  the 
contractors  personally  exi')lored  the  wilderness  from 
Quebec  to  Fredericton,  New  Bi'unswdck,  and  thence 
to  Halifax  with  a  view  of  extendiucr  the  line  from 
Quebec  to  Halifax.  Mr.  Poor  met  the  contractor  at 
Fredei'icton  ;  he  adopted  Mr.  Poor's  suggestion  of  a 
connection  between  Canada  and  the  Lower  Prov- 
inces across  Maine.     To  give  the   most  direct  and 


pi 


acticable  route,  the  scheme  included  also  a  cut-off 


from  Bethel  to  Bangor,  by  which  Bangor  would  be 
only  thirty  miles  farther  than  Portland  from  Montreal, 


r 


I   '  »mn 


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7'I/£  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         71 


and  would  receive  its  su[)[)lies  directly  from  the  west 
by  way  of  Montreal,  and  the  extension  from  Bangor 
to  St.  John  by  the  way  of  Calais,  along  tlie  shore. 
The  Enudish  contractors  pro[)osed  to  l)uild  this  line 
from  Waterville,  Maine,  to  Halifax,  advancing  80  ])er 
per  cent,  of  the  money  needed,  intending  to  bi'ing 
the  scheme  out  in  London  as  a  gran<l  whole.  The 
charter  was  refused  by  the  Legislature,  thi'ough  the 
jealousy  of  a  few  men  in  Bangor.  The  (rrand  Trunk 
scheme  was  delayed  for  the  Bangoi'  })art  until 
April,  1853,  and  then  brought  out  alone  in  London. 
Such  was  the  abundance  of  money  at  the  time,  that 
nine  times  the  capital  of  the  (Irand  Truidc  was 
offered  by  responsible  parties,  which  \vould  have 
built  the  Bangor  cut-oft*. 

I-)ut  though  the  European  and  North  American 
Hallway  was  thus  slain  in  the  house  of  its  fi'iends, 
Portland  received  from  the  agitation  of  the  scheme, 
an  incalculable  beneiit.  Li  1852,  Mr.  Poor  had 
accompanied  the  English  contractor  from  St.  John 
to  Halifax,  and  then  learned  the  plan  of  the  great 
trunk  railway  for  Canada.  "But  what,"  said  IVfr. 
Poor,  "will  become  of  your  western  freight,  when 
Montreal  harbor  is  closed  in  the  winter?  You 
should  lease  the  line  of  railway  from  ]Montreal  to 
Portland,  and  thus  secure  youi'self  a  winter  harbor." 
Mr.  Jackson  was  much  im})ressed  by  the  idea ;  he 
proposed  it  to  his  partners  in  England. 

The  Canadian  idea  had  originally  been  of  mere 
local  traffic  between  Montreal  and  Toronto ;  but  ttie 
contractors  saw  that  a  through  business  was  neces- 
sary, and  wished  to  provide  for  extension  at  both 


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73 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  \VA  Y. 


ends.  The  wostiM'ii  cxttMisioii  lias  Ix-cii  cMiii-fl  out 
to  Cliicai^^o ;  wlicn  u  tlir(»iigh  train  from  Chicnjj^o 
rolled  into  Portland,  Maine,  in  1881),  Mr.  Poor's 
visio!i^!  wcrt^  ni;iL,'nilicc'ntiy  fulfilled.  The  oastcrn 
extcnisicn  was  pi'ojxjsed  to  the  Portland  and  Montreal 
road.  The  same  spirit  which  liad  tui-ncd  IMi-.  Poor 
out  of  the  directorship  in  184*.),  which  had  opposed 
the  openiuLj  of  Commercial  Street,  and  seoli'ed  at  the 
project  of  the  Portland  conventi(»n,  ap])eared  again  ; 
and  it  was  only  after  hesitation  that  the  directors 
acce[)ted  a  lease  at  six  per  cent.  In  Auirust,  1853, 
the  lease  of  the  line,  composed  of  two  companies,  to 
the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  of  Canada  was  formally 
concluded.  It  was  all  the  moi'e  timelv,  as  the  eon- 
tractors  afterwards  liad  to  spend  a  million  and  a  half 
on  the  Portland  end;  another  million  from  the 
boundai'v  to  Montreal  to  make  it  woikable.  For  this 
inestimable  service,  IVIr.  Poor  never  i-eceived  even  a 
vote  of  thanks  from  the  directorship),  or  the  city  of 
Portland  ;  though  by  a  most  brilliant  connnercial 
victory  the  city  retained  both  its  road  and  its  money. 
IIo^N'ever  others  may  have  aided  in  carrying  out 
Mr.  Poor's  movements,  we  unhesitatingly  claim  for 
liim  the  Avliole  ci'edit  of  this  lease,  which  saved  the 
stockliolders  and  the  contractors.  Some  time  after- 
wards, Mr.  Poor  wn'ote :  "The  advantau'es  of  this 
lease  are  to  be  found  in  the  extension  of  the  line 
rather  than  in  the  transfer  of  the  Portland  and 
Montreal  section  at  its  cost."  It  lias  well  been 
called  "  one  of  the  most  splendid  triumphs  of  com- 
mercial \Narfai-e."  The  Grand  Ti-unk  Railway  was 
opened  to  Montreal  in  1853.     In  185G,  when  it  was 


\U 


TJIE  LIFE  01<  JOHN  ALFRED  FOOR. 


73 


(»[)cikmI  to  Toronto,  u  iiiiiii;iiilic'»'iit  ci'Iehration  was 
lifld  lit  iMoiiti'cal,  ill  wiiicli  Mr.  Poor  took  part. 
'\\w  Canadian  liist(trians  datf  tluf  new  cia  t)f'  ])i'o8- 
jH'i'it}'  in  Montival  from  IS.").'}  and  tlu'  Grand  Tiunk 
Railway:  l)ut  tlie  Gi'and  Trunk  Hallway  itself  u:rew 
out  of  the  Portland  convention  of  1850.  "That 
first  act  of  re-union,  after  a  sepai'ation  of  seyenty- 
four  years,  had  all  tlie  tVeshness  of  novelty  an«l  the 
charm  of  intense  earn»'stness."  "  Tlu^^lfect  of  that 
convention,"  said  IVIr.  Jackson,  "on  the  public  niincl 
of  Knu'land  \yas  jrreater  than  any  event  since  the  war 
of  1812,  if  not  since  the  Declai'ation  of  Independence, 
in  the  United  States." 

Nothing  ccudd  be  more  qnaint  or  inte^restinc:  to  an 
American  than  St.  John,  New  Bi'unswick,  before 
the  Portland  conyention.  To  see  its  inner  life  was 
to  turn  back  a  Imndred  years  ;  to  l)e  in  the  man- 
ners an<l  customs  which  j)reyailed  before  the  Revo- 
lution. It  was  settled  by  loyalists  ileeinu^  from 
New  York  and  Boston  in  1783;  among  its  first 
councillors  are  names  still  borne  in  New  York  and 
Salem.  In  its  graveyard  lies  the  last  lioyal  Attor- 
ney-General of  Massachusetts ;  in  a  church  the  last 
lioyal  Coat-of-Arms  in  the  revolted  colonies.  It  was 
separated  from  Nova  Scotia  in  1785,l)ecame  a  distinct 
2)rovince  with  a  charter  goy(>rnment  of  its  own.  Then 
came  a  succession  of  royal  governors  from  "Home," 
and  regiments  of  soldiers.  The  Province  Buildings 
at  Fredericton,  where  the  Parliament  met,  held  au 
arm-chair  where  the  Govei'nor  sat  to  represent 
royalty ;  above  wliicli  was  the  British  Coat-of-Arms. 
Large  s(juare  wooden  houses  grew  up,  in  the  style 


k 


M 


74 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


wliit'li  we  ackiiDwlodL^^e  as  "colonial,"  filliHl  with  old 
iiiahogaiiy,  silver,  and  oliiiia,  with  enibi'oidei'ed  coats- 
of-anus,  and  j)oi'ti'aits  by  Coj)ley.  All  their  ideals 
were  Enulish  ;  "  the  States  "  were  an  unknown  and 
dreaded  world,  seen  for  the  tii'st  tinu;  at  the  Portland 
Convention. 

]\lr.  Poor  afterwards  wrote:  ''The  ean'yini>:  out 
of  our  intei'national  railways  l)rou<ji:ht  in  its  train  the 
reciprocity  treaty.  I  foresaw  this  as  early  as  1843, 
when  I  saw  the  elfect  of  the  Treaty  of  W  ashington 
of  1842  on  the  public  mind  of  New  Prunswick  and 
Maine."  Of  the  Reciprocity  Treaty  3Ir.  P(.or  \vas 
one  of  the  wai'niest  advocates  and  earliest  friends; 
at  the  i'e(iuest  of  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Portland  he 
wrote  a  i)etition  in  favor  of  its  renewal,  which  was 
presented  to  Congress.  ]Mr.  Poor  Avent  even  further 
than  this :  ho  suu;geste(l  the  establishnuint  of  an 
American  ZoUverein  l)etween  the  United  States  and 
the  British  North  American  Provinces;  in  other 
words,  as  free  and  unrestricted  trade  between  us  and 
them,  asl)etween  the  States  of  the  American  Union. 
For  while  ]\Ir.  Poor  advocated  the  T)olicy  of  protec- 
tion for  American  interests  towards  foreisji-n  conn- 
tries,  Ik;  felt  and  maintained  that  conuiiercial  inter- 
course between  the  English-speaking  people  on  this 
continent  should  be  free.  This  idea  is  more  fully 
deveh)pe(l  in  a  letter  to  the  Chicago  Ship  (Janal 
Coruentior.  in  1863. 

The  first  period  of  railway  T)uilding  had  passed  in 
Maine ;  the  peoi)le  were  not  ripe  for  another.  Had 
Mr.  Poor  been  merely  a  business  man,  he  would  at 
once  have  left   Abiiie,  gone  where   tliei'e  were  new 


¥ 


i 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


75 


,    u 


Ull 

in 

|;ul 
ut 


railways  to  be  built,  jind  allowt'd  Bangor  to  take  the 
conseciueiices  of  her  inconeeivaljle  folly.  Instead, 
fiudiiiii!;  that  all  h()])e  of  foreign  aid  was  lost  in  1853, 
Ml'.  Poor  deteu'iiiiiied  to  seek  assistanee  at  home, 
undaunted  at  the  prospect  of  years  of  toil  ;  the 
European  and  North  American  Railway  was  not 
begun   in   Elaine  till  1867. 

Viw  Tuttle  says  :  "  Finding  that  h<!  ^vas  nnalde  to 
reach  the  public;  mind  and  to  give  an  exposition  of 
liis  plans  of  rail-extension  through  the  medium  of 
a  press  guided  and  controlled  by  othei's,  he  resolved 
on  finding  means  to  give  his  views  to  the  public,  and 
to  advocate  his  measures  in  his  own  way.  To  this 
end  he  established  a  newspaper  in  Portland,  which 
he  o\vne(l  and  edited  ^'rom  the  tiuu'  of  its  first  issue 
in  185'^  to  1859,  when  it  bfcame  uurgecl  in  the 
JJaihj  Advertiser,  a  paper  in  \vliich  he  had  })ur- 
cluised  i\\\  interest.  It  \vas  called  TJte  State  of 
Maiw: — a  name  purposely  and  felicitously  chosen, 
since  it  was  specially  devoted  to  the  advocacy  of  the 
deveio[)ment  of  the  great  interests  of  the  state,  and 
was  issued  dail}',  tri- weekly,  and  weekly.  His  fore- 
most purpose  in  this  enterpi'ise  was  to  educate  tlm 
])ublic  to  a  full  com{)rehension  of  the  importance  to 
the  interests  of  ]\[aine  of  building  the  l*]uro[)ean  and 
North  American  Railway,  and  to  secure  for  it  favc^ra- 
ble  legislative  action.  To  the  cari'\inL;'  out  of  this 
great  railway  enterprise,  ))i'oj('ct('d  by  him  many 
years  ])efore,  he  labored  with  his  pen  without  ceas- 
ing. Ib>  made  tlie  columns  of  his  pa[)er  a  vehicle  to 
carry  far  and  near  every  argument  which  could  be 
devised    favoi'able   to   the    execution    of   this    great 


kH. 


1 


I 


ir 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  R.  ■    L  W.  i  V 


IBJWiertalcinii:.  He  saw  r«^retfiilly  i]m  wasting  of  the 
b««t  energies  in  tlie  state  in  pwa'ty  strifes,  and  lie 
lamented  tliat  for  a  period  of  f«»rty  years  struggles 
foi'  personal  success  in  polities  had  l^een  paramount 
ideas,  with  a  few  intermitt^'nt  exceptions,  in  Maine, 
while  the  great  natural  resources  of  the  state  excited 
no  })ul)lic  interest  and  lay  undeveloped."  lie  always 
contencU'd  that  if  a  state  policy  favorable  to  rail- 
Avays  and  to  manufactur"s  had  l)een  early  adopted, 
Maine  would  have  been,  ic  this  time,  not  inferior  to 
Massachusetts  as  a  manufacturing  state. 

The  establishment  of  The  State  of  JIaine  gave  a 
new  start  to  the  newspaper  press  of  the  state.  It 
was  the  first  attempt  to  supply  full  telegraphic 
reports  of  nevrs,  in  the  manner  and  style  of  the  news- 
papers of  large  cities,  which  ^v'ere  published  in  The 
State  of  2Ialne  simultaneously  with  the  Boston  and 
Ne^v  York  ne^vspapel■s.  It  was  larger  than  any  other 
of  the  Portland  papers,  and  was  the  first  newspaper 
in  the  state  to  furnish  verbatim  reports  of  speeches, 
phonogra[)]iically  re})orted.  The  next  morning,  after 
a  dimier  given  to  the  otlicers  of  the  Sarah  Sands, 
the  first  ocean  steamship  from  Liverpool  which  ever 
arrived  in  Portland  harbor,  llie  State  of  Maine  u:ave 
a  full  re])ort  of  the  dinner  and  speeches,  almost  six 
closely  set  columns  of  matter.  The  plan  of  the 
dinnei'  given  to  Tyord  Elgin,  in  Portland,  also  origi- 
nated with  Mr.  Poor.  An  account  of  this  reception, 
and  Lord  Elgin's  s])eech,  are  given  in  the  life  of 
Lord   Elgin,  published   in  London. 

Up  to  185(3,  tlie  newsp.'ipi^r  had  not  been  political ; 
but  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  startled 


T///^  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         77 

the  whole  North.  Viw  i^oor  at  once  pronoiiiiced  thi;^ 
to  1)6  the  "  (leuth-blowof  the  Demoemtic  parly,"  and 
felt  that  party  politics  had  been  raised  to  tlie  diirnity 
of  s2;i'eat  moral  questions.  lu  185G  he  was  offered 
ten  thousand  dollars,  and  an  office  in  addition,  to 
sup[H)rt  ]\lr.  Buchanan  for  the  Presidency,  as  in  the 
breaking  u^)  of  political  parties  the  third  or  Whig 
party  then  held  the  balance  of  power,  but  he  i'«'fuse<l, 
and  snppoi'ted  the  Republicans ;  and  in  April, 
18.57,  in  the  pi'os[)e''tus  of  liis  newspaper  he  wrote: 
"The  wi'onirs  of  Kansas,  the  dei^radation  of  the 
Supieme  Court  to  the  uses  of  the  slave  powei",  the 
disenfranchiseiuent  of  man  on  account  of  race  or 
color,  are  wrongs  that  nuist  be  redressed." 

In  politics,  as  elsewhere,  IVIr.  Poor  proved  himself 
a  leader.  His  articles  upon  public  affairs  Avere  a 
day  in  advance  of  those  of  the  other  Maine  news- 
papers, which  waited  for  the  arrival  of  New  York 
and  Washington  pa}H'rs  and  h'tters,  to  express  an 
opinion  or  advise  a  policy  ;  but  Mr.  Poor's  leaders 
were  written  as  soon  as  the  news  arrived,  and  almost 
invariably  coincided  with  those  of  the  ablest  news- 
papei's  in  the  large  cities,  when  they  afterwards 
reached  Portland. 

He  had  also  the  courage  of  his  convictions,  as  to 
making  Prohibition  a  political  (piestion ;  for  the 
struggle  which  has  extended  over  the  whole  country 
began  in  Maine.  The  State  of  Alaiur  newspaper 
t(^ok  the  lead  against  it,  as  Mr.  Poor  considered  it 
illegal  and  unphilosophical  ;  and  for  this  he  was 
absolutely  persecuted  by  the  Prohibition  portion  of 
the  Republican  party.     The  newspaper  was  a  total 


fr^ 


^^V 


78 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


pecuniniy  Joss,  hut  was  undoubtedly  ta  necessaiy 
means  to  Lis  life-^voJ'k. 

During  tliese  yeai's  lie  had  w  v-er  ceased  to  present 
to  tlie  ])ul)Iic;,  on  every  possible  opportunity,  the 
claims  of  the  Kuropeirn  and  North  Amei'ican  Rail- 
way ;  articles  in  its  fa^fU'  were  written  for  his  news- 
paper; the  charter  was  twice  extended.  A  writer  in 
the  Portland  Advertiser  said:  "The  European  and 
Nortli  American  llailroad  Com])any  of  Maine  had 
been  organizv'd  in  1853;  Mr.  Poor  had  been  chosen 
president.  For  the  next  ten  yeai's  the  road  was  per- 
petually coming  up  befoi-e  the  Legislatures  of  Maine 
and  Massachusetts  and  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States  in  the  most  ingenious  and  surprising  dis- 
guises. 

Mr.  Poor  had  written  and  published  in  The  State 
of  Maine  newspaper  articles  calling  attention  to  the 
great  value  and  fertility  of  the  lands  in  Aroostook 
County,  Maine.  To  everybody  except  the  lumber 
merchants  of  Bangor,  "  the  Aroostook  "  was  as  truly 
an  unknown  land  as  an  island  in  the  South  Seas,  in 
1857  Mr.  Poor  wrote  and  presented  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  Maine  a  memorial  signed  by  himself  and  a 
numbei'  of  the  most  respectable  citizens  of  the  state, 
end)odying  the  same  idea.  To  develop  these  lands, 
Mr.  Pool"  suggested  opening  them  to  settlement  l)y 
means  of  a  railroad,  bringing  settlers  to  them  ly 
immigration  from  foreign  ccnintries,  and  establishing 
manufactures  in  them  by  exempting  manufactures 
from  taxation  foi'  a  term  of  years.  It  wjis  called  a 
New  State  Policy,  and  three  thousand  copies  of  the 
memorial  were  printed  by  ordei'  of  the  Legislature 


r 


1 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


79 


in  s[)ite  of  a  protest  by  some  newspaper  ajj^ainst 
"Air.  Poor's  plan  for  developing  resources  of  Art)08- 
took  by  exliai^-ting  those  of  the  state."  Mr.  Poor 
drew  lip  a  bill,  Aviiicii  was  passed  })y  the  Legislature 
of  the  state,  enabling  aliens  to  hold  real  estate,  this 
having  been  forbidden  by  the  makers  of  the  state 
constitution. 

In  1858  he  made  another  memorial,  asking  for 
a  geological  and  water-power  survey  of  the  state, 
and  general  statistics  of  Maine :  and  the  state  lands 
to  secure  the  construction  of  the  European  and 
North  American  Kaih\ay,  with  branch  lines  to 
Aroostook  and  Piscatatpiis  counties.  Thi-ee  thou- 
sand copies  of  this  memorial  were  also  printed  by 
order  of  the  Legislature,  in  consecpience  of  which,  a 
large  inuiiigration  of  our  own  citizens,  and  especially 
of  the  young  men  of  the  state,  took  place  into  Aroos- 
took County  for  several  j^ears  afterwards. 

The  memorial  of  1861  carried  out  his  own  sug- 
gestions, for  it  contained  an  historical  sketch  (>f  the 
state ;  an  elaborate  statistical  review  of  tlie  various 
resources  and  industries  of  the  state,  with  plans  for 
developing  them  by  means  of  settlements  on  the 
lands  and  by  encouraging  manufactures ;  statistics 
of  manufactures,  ap[>lied  in  sup})ort  of  this  argu- 
ment in  the  interesting  manner  ^\■^lich  ]\Ir.  Poor 
knew  how  to  use  towards  all  statistics  ;  an  elaborate 
wolo'ncal  sketch  of  the  state,  furnished  to  Mr.  l\)or 
by  Sir  AVilliam  Logan,  the  state  geologist  of  Can- 
ada ;  finall}',  the  recommendation  that  the  State 
lands  should  be  criven  to  secure  tlie  buihlino;  of  the 
European  ai.  1   North    American    Railway  and   the 


s 


ii  • 


80 


J^/J?ST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


Lnuicli  lliKs.     Tliis  also  was  printed  uiul  distributed 
by  tlie  Legialature. 

In  the  winter  of  18G2,  the  European  and  North 
American  Railway  was  carried  to  a  larirpr  audience. 
In  the  autumn  of  1861,  Mr.  Seward  called  the  atten- 
tion of  governors  of  states  to  their  coast  defences. 
Mr.  Poor  at  once  wrote  a  conmumication  in  rclatiou 
to  the  defences  of  Maine,  which  was  signed  hy  the 
Governor  and  foi-warded  to  the  Pi'csident ;  and  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  "  Joint  Connuissioner  on  the 
Coast  Defences."  The  Conmiiasion  pi'oceeded  to 
Wasliington,  wliere  they  had  audience  witli  the 
President  and  the  Secret aiy  of  War.  They  discov- 
ered an  a))propi'iation  of  $10<>.000  for  a  fort  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Kennebec  Kiver,  whicli  had  been  over- 
looked by  the  Maine  representatives  for  several 
years.  They  petitioned  that  work  should  be  put  in 
progress  on  this  fort;  als"  that  it  should  receive  the 
name  it  now  bears,  F(U't  Popham, — both  of  which 
petitions  were  successful.  They  had  audience  with 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and  made  nrrange- 
ments  that  the  money  advanced  by  the  state  of 
Maine  sliouhl  be  returned  by  the  United  States  in 
twenty-year  six-per-cent.  bonds,  which  was  regarded 
as  highly  patriotic  on  the  part  of  Maine.  The  senior 
Commissioner,  ]\Ir.  AVilliaj^"',  tlien  left  for  home,  and 
Mr.  Poor  remained  in  AVashington.  The  Pi-esident, 
the  Secretary  of  AVar,  the  Chiefs  of  the  Engineer 
and  Ordnance  Bureaus  expressed  much  interest  in 
the  subject ;  but  Mr.  Poor  met  w  ith  vexatious  delays, 
which  are  well  understood  by  all  pei'sons  familiar 
with  business  in  AVashington.      In  his  report  to  the 


11' 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOII.Y  ALFRED  POOR. 


8i 


Govenioi',  1k'  wrote:  ''The  pretJSure  of  the  I'oiitiiie 
of  (hiily  duties  coiisec^ueiit  on  tlie  Ut'lx'llioii  drew  ott' 
attention  from  tliese  'extraordinary  matters,'  as  tliey 
wei'e  [)leased  to  call  thosc^  set  fortli  in  your  letter  of 
October  2.")d  ;  and  I  may  venture  to  express  the  1)6- 
lief,  that  l)ut  for  tlie  presence  of  an  agent  in  AVash- 
injfton  in  your  service,  followinu;  iii)  in  a  constant 
I'ound  of  visits  the  same  oflicei's  then  in  charge, 
luu'li  u'l'eater  delav  would  have  occurred  in  the 
preparation  of  their  reports  on  the  defences  of  Maine. 
The  fi'onticr  position  of  j\Iaine,  remote  fi'om  the 
national  govermiient,  the  few  ])eople  of  the  State 
visiting  the  Ca[)itol  I'oi"  the  purpose  of  iniluencing 
pnhlic  action,  compai'ed  with  the  numbers  that 
throng  all  its  avenues,  and  often  al>sorl),  if  not 
monopolize,  with  their  own  ])i'ojects  the  time  of 
public  otlicials  ;  the  halnt  of  command  thus  ac(p,iired 
by  men  of  the  large!"  and  more  central  states,  lead 
one  to  cx[)ect,  as  a  matter  of  course,  that  the  claims 
of  a  distant  state  like  Maine  will  be  undervalued,  if 
not  overlooked  and  disi'egarded.  Hence,  the  mo- 
ment the  [Hiblic  mind  was  moved  by  the  unfortunate 
affair  of  the  Trent,  upon  the  iirst  whisper  of  <langer 
(»f  hostilities  with  Enixland,  the  overwhelminsj:  and 
paramount  claims  of  the  city  of  New  York  threw 
aside  the  admitted  den)ands  of  Maine.  .  .  .It 
was  in  vain  lU'ged,  in  the  midst  of  the  exciting  pres- 
sure, that  the  great  point  of  danger  in  a  collision 
with  England  was  Maine." 

Mr.  Poor  forever  persistently  haunted  tlie  Engi- 
neer and  Ordnance  Bureaus  until  the  ju'operai'mament 
was  despatched  to  tlie  forts  of  Maine,  and  reports 


'I'," 


•^' 


lis' 


82 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


were  piiLlislied  on  tlie  subject.  These  reports  sug- 
gested fuller  appro] >nations  for  the  existiiii^  forts,  and 
a  sum  of  Sj>5 50,000  for  temporaiy  foi'tiHeatious  of 
towns  uufoi'titied.  These  reconiiuendatious  ])assed 
Congress  and  became  a  law  in  February,  18G2.  It 
will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  the  commission  accom- 
plished important  work,  viz. :  piittiug  in  progress  the 
fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec,  hastening  the 
work  of  the  Engineer  and  Ordnance  Bureaus,  larger 
appropi-iatious  for  existing  forts,  and  the  sum  of 
$550,000  to  be  ex|)ended  at  the  discretion  of  the 
President.  President  Lincoln  offered  to  IMi-.  Poor  the 
expenditure  of  this  sum  of  money  as  "  Commissioner 
in  Charge  of  the  Northeastern  Defences."  But  Mr.. 
Poor  declined  this,  because  he  felt  that  it  was  un- 
necessary to  create  such  an  office,  and  Mr.  Lincoln 
said  :  "  I  will  not  call  you  Mr.  Poor,  but  Mr.  Strong." 
It  was  a  time  of  the  greatest  excitement  in  Wash- 
ington as  re2:arded  financial  matters.  Mr.  Poors 
versatile  mind  was  tui-ned  in  that  direction,  and  he 
wrote  a  letter  on  the  national  finance  which  2>rocured 
for  him  the  offer  of  a  position  in  the  Treasury  De- 
partment, to  which  we  have  alluded,  but  ^vhich  he 
declined.  Mr.  Poor  was  not  to  be  turned  from  his 
onginal  purpose.  At  the  War  Office  he  had  met 
with  the  most  cordial  support  from  Secretary  Stanton 
in  his  plans  for  coast  defence.  He  received  a  card 
admitting  him  at  all  hours  at  a  time  when  the  gen- 
eral public  were  limited  to  a  single  day  a  week.,  and 
when  Congressmen  often  besieged  the  door  in  vain. 
Instead  of  sendins  a  memorial  to  Conirress  on  a 
further  plan  for  coast  defence,  Mr.  Poor  addressed  a 


THE  LI-E  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


83 


a 


letter  to  the  War  Office  ;  in  luldition  to  the  otlier 
means  for  defending  tlie  coast  of  Maine,  lie  suggested 
the  building  of  the  European  and  North  American 
Railway  as  a  military  railroad.  Accompanying  this 
letter  was  a  bill  to  carry  out  these  measures  by 
making  a  small  annual  grant  to  the  European  and 
North  American  Railway  for  carr3dng  mails,  troops, 
munitions  of  war,  etc.,  per  mile.  Afterward  this 
pi'oposition  was  supported  by  a  letter  addressed  to 
Secretary  Stanton  by  a  distinguished  engineer. 
These  documents  were  for\varded  to  the  Senate  by 
Mr.  Stanton,  who  expressed  great  interest  in  them 
all,  but  gave  no  opinion  upon  their  merit  officially. 
The  bill,  with  accomjianying  documents,  was  intro- 
duced into  the  Senate,  and  into  the  House  also,  but 
it  did  not  pass.  Congress  could  not  be  made  to 
realize  that  any  thing  was  due  to  Maine.  In  the 
autumn  of  1863  Mr.  Poor  made  an  application  to 
Congress,  but  in  vain. 

A  newspaper  said:  "The  people  of  Bangor  had 
gone  astray  after  Oldtown  and  Lincoln  road,  the 
Penobscot  road,  the  Aroostook  road.  In  1863  Mr. 
Poor  had  the  pleasure  of  uniting  all  these  enter- 
prises under  the  name  of  the  European  and  North 
American  Railway."  This  route  as  finally  adopted 
was  much  longer  than  the  original  plan  under  the 
English  contractor.  In  1864  the  anmml  application 
to  the  Legislature  of  Maine  was  crowii  d  with  suc- 
cess; after  being  encumbered  by  branch  lines  to 
Piscataquis  County,  the  European  and  North  Ameri- 
can Railway  received  from  the  Legislature  a  grant 
of  about  800,000  acres  of  public  lands  lying  on  the 


M 


r 


84 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  \VA  Y. 


Penobscot  and  St.  John  waters,  subject  to  a  claim 
of  Massacliusetts  for  ^2r)0,0()0  for  payment  for  the 
hinds  bouglit  in  1852,  and  also  of  all  the  claims  of 
Maine  ai^ainst  the  genei'al  government  prior  to  18(50, 
held  jointly  with  Massachusetts.  The  Legishiture 
also  passed  resolves  reconunending  the  road  to  the 
Legislature  of  Massachusetts  and  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States. 

To  AVashington,  therefore,  hastened  Mr.  Poor, 
alone  and  unaided.  lie  prepared  a  report  giving 
a  history  of  the  northeastern  boundary  question,  and 
suggesting  that  IMaine  should  l)e  repaid  for  her 
sacrifices  to  preserve  ]ieace  at  that  time,  by  aid  to 
the  European  and  North  American  Railway.  As 
Texas  had  received  a  gratuity  of  ten  million  dollars 
for  surrendering  doubtful  claims  to  a  much  less  valu- 
able territory,  the  claim  of  Maine  had  a  good  foun- 
dation in  precedent,  as  well  as  in  justice.  By  most 
umisual  success,  he  succeeded  in  forming  a  special 
committee  of  the  House  of  Eepresentatives  who 
adopted  his  report;  the  road  was  also  indorsed  as 
a  military  road  by  General  Dix,  major  in  com- 
mand of  the  De^^artment  of  the  East,  in  January, 
1864.  In  the  summer,  Mr.  Poor  orcranized  a  visit 
to  Maine  of  the  Congressional  Committee  on  De- 
fences of  the  Northeastern  Frontier,  with  a  num- 
l)er  of  invited  guests  from  abroad,  and  from  home. 
The  connnittee  visited  the  coasts  of  INlaine,  Bangor, 
and  St.  John,  New  Brunswdck,  in  the  United  States 
Revenue  steamer  Mahoning.  The  visitors  from 
abroad  were  delighted  with  the  scenery  and  com- 
mercial advantages  of  JMaine,  and  convinced  of  the 


f 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


85 


■'  1 


:'9 


iiuportaiice  of  the  Euro^x'.'iii  and  Noi'tli  Aiiu'rii'un 
Uuilway.  In  1805  Mr.  Poor,  um  ])resi(lent  of  tlic 
Kui'oin'aii  and  Noitli  Ann'rican  Railway,  niaih^  an 
api'lication  to  the  iMassaclmsetts  Legislature,  asking 
an  assignment  of  its  claims  against  tlie  United  States, 
held  jointly  with  Maine,  a  discharge  of  tlie  debt 
due  from  Maine  on  account  of  the  purchase  of  the 
])ul>lic  lands,  and  a  loan  of  state  credit — all  in  favor 
of  the  Kuro[>ean  and  North  American  Ilailway  ;  also 
a  memorial  to  the  Governor,  sui^westiuLC  an  exchan<2:e 
of  state  of  j\Iaine  bonds.  We  (^uote  Mr.  Tuttle  : 
"  Oh  ap])lication  to  ^Massachusetts  for  aid,  it  was 
refust'd,  on  the  ground  of  a  statute  of  Elaine,  passed 
in  1<S()0,  foi'bidding  tlie  change  of  gauge  on  any 
railroad  in  Maine,  which  was  regarded  as  unfriendly 
legislation.  Without  the  aid  of  Massachusetts,  the 
grant  by  ]\Iaine  to  aid  the  building  of  the  road  was 
not  available.  Mr.  P(x>r  I'egarded  the  statute  of  no 
advantage  to  the  interest  of  Maine,  but  otherwise, 
and  he  applied  at  once  to  the  Legislatui'e  of  Maine, 
then  sitting,  for  a  i'e])eal  of  it,  and  for  leave  to  lay  a 
third  rail  on  the  Portland,  Saco,  and  Portsmouth 
llailroad,  with  a  view  of  extendiuic  the  broad-<2i;au2re 
line  from  Halifax  to  Boston  and  New  York.  He 
a})peai'ed  befoi'e  the  Committee  on  Railways  on  the 
foui'teenth  of  February  1865,  and  made  a  long  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  re[)eal,  reviewing  at  length,  and 
with  great  ability,  the  railway  interests  of  INlaine 
and  the  history  o^  the  various  roads,  which  is 
]»iinted,  lie  claimed  that  there  should  be  no  re- 
striction on  railway  transit.  The  Legislature  of 
Maine,  not  without  much  opposition  from  interested 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


parties,  and  from  those  of  narrc»w  views  in  these 
matters,  repealed  the  act,  and  then  he  prevailed  on 
Massachusetts  to  release  its  claim  on  these  lands 
granted  by  Maine,  and  also  to  allow  the  road  the 
part  of  her  joint  claim  with  Maine  against  the  gen- 
eral government  in  May,  1865." 

As  the  general  government  had  repudiated  these 
claims  for  more  than  thirty  years,  the  gift  cannot  be 
called  munificent ;  whatever  the  European  and  North 
American  Railway  got  from  Congress  for  them  may 
be,  therefore,  considered  as  absolutely  created. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  follow  the  political 
changes  of  New  Brunswick,  so  far  as  they  affect 
railway  mattera,  as  we  have  those  of  Canada.  But 
we  may  briefly  say,  that  the  Halifax  and  Quebec, 
that  is,  the  Intercolonial  plan,  was  offered  incessantly 
to  New  Brunswick  instead  of  the  European  and 
North  American  Railwav,  the  International  and 
Comjriercial  plan.  New  Brunswick  had  steadily  op- 
posed the  confederation  of  all  British  North  Amer- 
ica, year  after  yeai*,  and  had  steadily  clung  to  the 
Commercial  Railway.  Mr.  Poor  had  kept  up  com- 
munication with  the  New  Brunswick  politicians  ever 
since  the  Portland  Convention.  In  February,  1865, 
a  strong  anti-confederation  government  had  been 
formed ;  as  soon  as  the  business  was  settled  with 
the  Massachusetts  Legislature,  Mr.  Poor  hastened  to 
St.  John,  in  June,  1865.  Fortunately,  for  the  anti- 
confederation  party  was  turned  out  of  power  in 
1866,  a  strong  confederation  party  came  in,  who 
would  have  opposed  the  European  and  North 
American  Railway. 


rt 


THE  LIi^^E  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


87 


In  1865  Mr.  Poor,  in  behalf  of  his  company,  pro- 
posed to  complete  the  lines  in  New  Brunswick  and 
Nova  Scotia  for  an  annual  subsidy  of  $80,000,  from 
the  two  provinces,  guaranteed  until  the  lines  should 
j)ay  six  per  cent,  of  the  cost.  The  New  Brunswick 
government  declined  to  enter  into  this  arrangement, 
but  voted  $10^000  a  mile  to  complete  the  line  from 
St.  John  westward  to  the  boundaiy.  Mr.  Poor,  as 
president  of  the  Maine  Company,  made  a  contract 
with  the  European  and  North  American  Railway 
Company  of  New  Brunswick  ;  he  then  made  a  con- 
tract for  building  the  entire  line  through  the  state 
and  the  province  as  one  line.  The  city  of  Bangor 
loaned  its  credit  to  the  amount  of  $1,000,000,  and 
work  began  at  St.  John  in  November,  1865,  con- 
tractors being  induced  to  take  hold  by  this  plan  of 
a  long  line.  But  for  this  timely  contract,  the  golden 
opportunity  would  have  slipped  by.  The  glittering 
bait  of  the  Intercolonial  Railway,  built  by  the  im- 
perial government,  proved  too  tempting  to  New 
Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia ;  both  accepted  the 
confederation  in  1867. 

Both  Mr.  Poor  and  the  contractors  made  great  ex- 
ertions to  induce  Boston  capitalists  to  share  in  the 
enterprise,  but  they  refused.  However,  in  1866  Mr. 
Poor  applied  again  to  the  Massachusetts  Legislatui-e. 
In  April  he  left  the  negotiation  in  charge  of  the  late 
Governor  Andrew,  who  entirely  failed  to  get  any 
thing  from  the  Legislature.  Mr.  Poor  went  alone  to 
Washington,  where,  instead  of  a  separate  coiuraittee, 
his  bill  was  assigned  to  the  important  Committee  on 
Foreign  Relations.     Mr.  Poor  appeared  before  them, 


88 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


Ws^ 


'p. 


made  a  speech,  and  the  committee  reported  in  favor 
of  his  bill.  On  the  veiy  last  night  of  the  session,  at 
midnight,  Mr.  Sunmei*,  chainnan  of  the  commit- 
tee, rose  twice  to  present  the  bill  to  the  Senate ;  but 
more  eager  men  pushed  in  to  catch  the  Speaker's 
eye,  till  the  time  for  closing  came.  In  leaning  upon 
Massachusetts  Mr.  Poor  had  leaned  upon  a  reed.  He 
was  thrown  out  of  the  presidency  ;  Pennsylvania  capi- 
talists came  in  and  obtained  the  grant  from  Congress. 
Ground  was  broken  at  Bangor  in  January,  1867. 
The  road  was  completed  some  years  before  the 
Intercolonial,  and  was  opened  to  the  public  by  a 
grand  celebration  at  Bangor,  and  another  at  the 
boundary  line,  in  both  of  which  the  President  of  the 
United  States  and  the  Governor-Genei'al  of  Canada 
took  part,  in  October,  1871.  Mr.  Poor  had  died  six 
weeks  before. 

'  One  writer  has  said :  "  Its  construction  in  this  gene- 
ration is  due  absolutely  and  entirely  to  the  persever- 
ance and  unyielding  courage  of  its  projector  and  first 
president."  "  His  name,"  says  another  well  acquainted 
with  the  history  of  the  road,  "  will  be  forever  associ- 
ated with  the  European  and  North  American  Rail- 
way, as  inseparably  as  the  name  of  De  Witt  Clinton 
with  the  Erie  Canal.  With  no  funds  to  build  the 
road  except  a  small  land  grant  find  an  assignment  of 
the  claims  of  Maine  and  Massachusetts  upon  the 
general  government,  claims  which  that  government 
had  repudiated  for  more  than  thirty  years,  he  went 
to  work  alone,  and  by  ceaseless  industry,  and  by 
using  influences  which  no  one  else  knew  how  to 
wield,  by  persistent   and   unanswerable   arguments 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         89 

everywhere  applied  by  both  pen  aud  tongue,  he  en- 
listed legislators  in  Congress  and  pul^lic  men  in  the 
states  in  his  favor,  secured  the  confidence  of  capital- 
ists, overcame  all  difficulty,  bore  down  all  opposition, 
wearied  out  delay  itself,  and  achieved  a  final  and 
complete  success." 

If  annexation  ever  take  place,  the  railwnys  will 
bo  the  most  powerful  instruments  in  bringing  it 
about.  The  recent  protests  from  Boston  and  Port- 
land against  refusing  bonding  privileges  to  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  show  how  intimate  is  the 
connection  between  New  England  and  Canada.  If 
Bangor  has  not  received  all  she  hoped,  she  neetl  only 
remember  that  she  might  have  had  the  railway  years 
befoi'e.  The  consolidated  lines  now  extend  to  the 
boundary  by  the  same  terms  of  lease  which  Bangor 
refused  in  1853;  the  name  of  the  European  and 
North  American  Railway  is  gone.  The  location  of 
the  Piscataquis  Railway  was  not  what  Mr.  Poor 
desired,  but  he  was  obliged  to  accept  it  because  the 
Legislature  would  not  give  the  state  lands  to  the 
European  and  North  American  Railway  until  the 
members  from  Piscataquis  County  were  satisfied. 

In  1869,  Mr.  Poor  made  the  following  lemarks  at 
the  Bangor  Centenary,  which  were  omitted  from  the 
published  volume,  and  they  show  his  foresight : 
"Radiating  fi'om  Bangor  as  a  necessary  centre  of 
trade,  lines  of  trade  must  strike  in  all  directions,  and 
before  many  years,  Bangor,  with  a  line  direct  to 
Montreal  by  way  of  the  St.  Francis  valley,  will 
shorten  to  its  lowest  limit  the  time  of  railway  tran- 
sit from  Montreal  to  St.  John,  Halifax,  and  New- 


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FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


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foundland.  By  completing  your  line  to  St.  John 
with  a  branch  to  Woodstock  and  Little  Falls,  bring- 
ing the  basin  of  the  St.  John  to  your  market,  you  will 
double  the  population  of  your  city  ;  you  will  construct 
another  line  to  Bucksport,  Ellsworth,  and  along  the 
coast  line  to  Calais ;  you  will  extend  your  Piscataquis 
branch  to  Moosehead  Lake,  and  it  will  erelong  cross 
the  border  and  follow  the  Chaudiere  to  Quebec." 

While  he  was  in  Washington,  the  Portland  fire  of 
1866  took  place.  In  spite  of  the  heat  of  the  weather, 
Mr.  Poor  exerted  himself  to  get  up  a  public  meet- 
ing, and  subscription  for  the  sufferers  by  fire.  The 
Mayor  of  Washington  publicly  thanked  Mr.  Poor 
for  the  plan  of  organization  which  was  suggested  by 
him,  and  led  to  so  large  a  subsciiption  for  Portland 
from  Washinixton.  Mr.  Poor's  exertions  for  this 
object,  during  the  heat  of  a  Washington  summer, 
brought  on  a  sunstroke  and  a  partial  paralysis  of  the 
optic  nei'\'^e  of  one  eye.  He  eventually  recovered 
his  sight  perfectly,  but  for  the  remaining  years  of 
his  life  he  Avas  obliged  to  dictate  all  he  wrote.  The 
great  amount  of  work  he  accomplished  under  this 
drawback  is  amazinar. 

His  physician  ordei'ed  entire  rest  of  body  and 
brain,  but  in  the  winter  of  1867,  in  reply  to  a 
request  from  the  governor  of  Maine,  he  wrote  a 
report  upon  the  confederation  of  the  British  North 
American  possessions,  which  was  adopted  by  the 
committee  of  the  Maine  Legislature,  and  passed  both 
branches.     It  was  dictated  at  one  sitting. 

The  spring  of  1867  brought  forth  the  realization 
of  a  long-cherished  idea  of  Mr.  Poor's — the  hydro- 


. 


m 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.  91 

graphic  survey  of  'he  state.  Mr.  Tuttle  says :  " Thie 
history  of  this  is  but  another  illustration  of  Mr. 
Poor's  devotion  to  the  development  and  utilization 
of  the  natural  advantasje  of  his  native  state."  The 
original  idea  of  the  survey  is  found  in  the  following 
letter : 

"Portland  [1845  or  1846]. 
"  My  Dear  Brother, — 

"  I  send  you  some  memo,  touching  the  distances 
and  elevations  on  the  railway  line.  You  see  that 
Umbagog  Lake  is  twelve  hundred  and  fifty-six  feet 
above  the  water,  falls  one  hundred  and  forty-one 
feet  from  the  lake  to  the  head  of  Berlin  Falls  ;  the 
river  then  falls  three  hundred  and  thirty-four  feet  in 
sixteen  miles.  Here  is  unquestionably  the  greatest 
water-power  in  the  country.  The  upper  lakes  are 
unquestionably  many  hundred  feet  above  Lake  Um- 
bagog. Richardson's  Lake  is,  at  least,  three  hundred 
feet  higher  than  Umbagog.  From  Lake  Umbagog 
to  Berlin  Falls  is  some  twenty  to  twenty-five  miles. 
You  wnll  see,  therefore,  that  a  vast  and  inexhausti- 
ble water-power  is  here." 

And  he  gives  in  the  same  letter  tables  of  elevation 
above  tide-water  of  other  points  on  the  line  of  the 
Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railway.  In  one  of  the 
memorials  in  favor  of  the  European  and  North 
American  Railway :  "  Maine,"  he  says  "  with  its  ex- 
tended and  deeply  indented  sea-coast,  on  the  line  of 
favoring  winds  ;  its  mountainous  regions  that  distil 
in  profusion  the  clear  waters  that  swell  its  rivers, 
descending    from    high    elevations,    by    circuitous 


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92 


F/J?ST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


courses,  in  a  succession  of  cascades  to  the  ocean, 
amiil  rich  forests,  and  through  a  productive  soil,  may 
in  time  rival  any  region  of  the  globe  in  the  extent 
of  its  manufactures  and  coramei'ce.  Its  great  and 
distinguishing  natural  feature  is  its  water-power, 
surpassing  that  of  any  section  of  the  globe  of  equal 
extent."  In  a  memorial  to  the  Legislature,  pi'epared 
by  him  for  the  Agricultui'al  Society  of  Maine,  in 
1858,  he  strongly  urged  a  public  survey  of  the  water- 
power  of  the  state.  This  appeal  was  renewed  and 
suppoi'ted  with  a  great  vai'iety  of  illustrations,  in  a 
memorial  to  the  Legislature  in  1861,  prepared  by 
him  in  behalf  of  the  European  and  North  American 
Railway  Company. 

In  September,  1866,  Mr.  Poor  wrote  to  the  govern- 
or, in  spite  of  his  own  ill  health,  upon  the  material 
development  of  the  state,  and  especially  upon  the 
advantages  of  a  hydrographic  survey,  and  the  gov- 
ernor recommended  it.  Mr.  Tuttle  says:  "The  ex- 
pediency and  necessity  of  such  a  survey  were  at 
length  recognized  by  the  Legislature  ;  in  the  spring 
of  1867  it  authorized  such  a  survey  to  be  made, 
under  the  direction  of  three  commissioners,  to  be 
appointed  by  the  governor  and  council.  He  was 
appointed  one  of  the  commissioners  and  chairman  of 
the  board.  In  December,  1867,  the  commissioners 
made  their  report  to  the  governor.  This  report? 
filling  thirty  closely  printed  octavo  pages,  was  writ- 
ten by  Mr.  Poor,  and  it  bears  all  the  marks  of  his 
vast  knowledge  and  full  appreciation  of  the  geo- 
graphical and  physical  characteristics  of  Maine.  The 
result  of  the  survey  is  two  printed  volumes,  making 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.         93 


over  eight  hundred  pages,  containing  a  full  descrip 
tion  of  the  water-power  of  the  state,  prepared  by 
Walter  Wells." 

In  connection  with  the  hydrographic  survey,  he 
endeavored  to  form  a  statistical  society,  and  sent  out 
the  following  circular-letter,  which  met  with  no  ade- 
quate response :  "  The  undei*signed  citizens  of  iSIaine, 
believing  that  an  association  for  the  collection  and 
publication  of  facts  and  statistitfs,  showing  the  Iiis- 
tory  and  profits  of  industrial  and  manufacturing 
enterprises  now  in  operation  in  this  state,  and  the 
advantages  and  resources  of  the  state  for  all  branches 
of  manufacturing  and  productive  industry,  respect- 
fully invite  a  meeting  of  all  pei*son9  interested  in 
the  prosperity  of  Maine,  at  Portland,  on  Tuesday, 
August  27,  1867,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  for 
the  purpose  of  taking  into  consideration  the  best 
method  of  accomplishing  the  objects  afoiesaid  ;  and, 
if  found  expedient,  of  forming  a  Statistical  and  In- 
dustrial Society,  or  Union,  within  the  state." 

In  1868  the  commissioner  of  the  general  land 
office  in  Washington  applied  to  Governor  Chamber- 
lain for  an  account  of  the  progress  in  poi)ulation, 
manufactures,  agriculture,  and  commei'ce,  in  I\L*iine, 
since  the  last  national  census.  The  Governor 
immediately  requested  Mr.  Poor  to  furnish  this 
important  information,  recognizing  in  him  the  best 
qualified  person  in  the  state  for  this  undertaking. 
He  accepted  the  commission,  and  executed  it  with 
his  usual  ability  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the 
government.  His  elaborate  statistical  report  fills 
fourteen  closely  printed  pages. 


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FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


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In  1867  Mr.  Poor  was  invited  by  the  citizens  of 
Belfast,  Maine,  to  address  them  on  the  subject  of 
railways.  On  the  Fourth  of  July,  1867,  he  delivered 
an  address,  with  interesting  and  carefully  compiled 
statistics,  it  is  true,  but  full  also  of  poetry  and 
eloquence.  Tied  down  to  no  one  railway  project, 
his  imagination  had  full  play  in  describing  what  he 
had  been  so  early  to  recognize — the  wonder  and 
beauty  of  the  locomotive  railway,  the  triumph  of 
man  over  nature.  The  same  idea  is  rendered  with 
perfect  skill  in  one  of  Turner's  greatest  pictures, 
"  Rain,  Steam,  and  Speed,''  where  an  advancing  train 
crosses  a  lofty  viaduct,  and  the  light  from  the  loco- 
motive gleams  luridly  through  the  streets  of  pouring 
rain.  Unfortunately,  the  Belfast  and  Moosehead  Lake 
Railway  Company  did  not  follow  Mr.  Poor's  advice 
in  the  location  of  their  railway ;  he  insisted  upon 
Newport  as  its  point  of  contact  with  the  Maine 
Central  Railway.  Mr.  Poor  suggested  a  complimen- 
tary dinner,  from  the  citizens  of  Portland,  to  Messrs. 
Potter  and  Brydges,  the  president  and  vice-president 
of  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  of  Canada,  but  Mr. 
Potter's  unexpected  return  to  England  prevented 
their  acceptance  in  1869. 

Mr.  Poor  received  letters  requesting  assistance  and 
advice  in  distributing  copies  of  reports  of  commis- 
sioners to  revise  the  United  States  Statutes,  and  sent 
names  of  persons  who  should  receive  such  reports. 

Mr.  Poor  also  lived  to  see  successfully  carried 
out  a  measure  which  he  had  suggested  many  years 
before ;  though  the  working  details  were  all  per- 
formed by  others.    "We  use  Mr.  Tuttle's  account  of 


:i^:; 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


95 


the  Swedish  immif'ration  into  the  state :  "  One  of 
his  favorite  plans  for  developing  the  material  re- 
sources of  the  state  and  adding  to  the  public 
wealth  was  legislative  encouragement  of  settlements 
on  <"he  unoccupied  public  lands.  His  grand  idea  of 
the  capacities  of  the  state,  and  his  plans  of  improve- 
ment, locked  to  an  almost  indefinite  enlargement  of 
the  wealth  and  population  of  the  state  in  this 
direction.  The  state  of  Maine,"  he  says,  "from 
the  extent  of  its  terrltoiy,  its  geographical  position, 
its  physical  geography,  and  its  geological  structure, 
has  all  the  f^ements  essential  to  an  independent 
empire.  By  a  development  of  its  resources,  it  can 
sustain  a  population  at  a  rate  per  square  mile  equal 
to  that  of  the  most  densely  populated  countries  in 
Europe."  In  several  memorials  written  by  him,  and 
presented  to  the  Legislature  between  1849  and  1862, 
he  fully  set  forth  his  views  on  this  subject,  and 
urged  the  Legislature  to  adopt  a  state  policy  favora- 
ble to  settlements  on  these  lands. 

As  early  as  June,  1850,  he  wrote:  "We  have 
failed  so  far  as  to  attract  to  the  state  the  most 
valuable  class  of  immigrants  that  seek  for  a  climate 
and  soil  similar  to  that  of  Germany  and  Switzer- 
land, which  resemble  our  own.  If  proper  encourage- 
ment were  held  out  to  them  we  might  expect  the 
immigrants  from  the  north  of  Europe  to  prefer  the 
soil  and  climate  of  Maine  to  those  of  the  Mississippi 
valley." 

He  aimed  at  arresting  emigration  from  the  state, 
as  well  as  inviting  immigration  to  it.  A  comparative 
view  of  the  population  at  various  epochs  showed 


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F/JiST  INTERNATIONAL  HAILU'AY. 


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tliat  emiL^ratioii  from  the  state  was  coiustniitly  going 
on.  "Tliis,"  lie  HJiys,  "is  a  great  (lra\v))ack  to  her 
prospeiity.  No  finer  ])eo[)le  are  born  on  tlie  face  of 
tlie  globe,  ami  those  who  leave  her  distinguish  them- 
selves all  over  the  eountry.  Our  duty  is  to  keep 
those  men  at  home,  to  develop  our  own  state ;  to 
rear  villages  at  all  the  waterfalls ;  to  cultivate  the 
rich  soils  of  the  Penobscot,  the  Kennebec,  the 
Aroostook,  and  St.  John  valleys ;  to  own,  as  well 
as  build  and  sail,  our  own  commercial  marine."  Per- 
suaded that  some  immediate  legislative  accion  fa- 
vorable to  immigration  and  settlement  in  the  great 
forests  of  the  state  was  i*e(piired,  he  delivered  a 
public  address,  in  1864,  in  the  hall  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  giving  his  views  on  the  subject,  and 
urging  public  action  in  the  matter.  Gradually  the 
importance  of  his  suggestions  began  to  be  favorably 
received.  In  1870  the  Legislature  of  Maine  estab- 
lished a  board  of  immigration  to  carry  out  this  plan 
of  settling  a  Scandinavian  population  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  state  ;  and  in  July  of  that  year 
the  first  colony  from  Sweden  arrived  and  settled  in 
the  valley  of  the  Aroostook.  This  colony  has  since 
been  much  increased,  and  is  in  a  flourishing  condi- 
tion, promising  to  be  as  great  a  public  benefit  as  he 
anticipated  twenty  years  before." 

Mr.  Poor  was  requested  by  the  American  Social 
Science  Association,  of  which  he  was  an  original 
member,  to  furnish  them  some  information  for  the 
hand-book  of  immigration  which  the  society  was 
then  preparing  for  publication.  He  sent  them  an 
elaborate  paper  upon  "  Maine  :  its  Climate,  Resources, 


'r't**i 


1 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


97 


and  Adaptation  for  Imniii^raiits,"  for  wliicli  he  re- 
c('ive<l  tlie  thanks  of  tlic  assoc-iation. 

Cut  down  in  the  midst  of  his  labors,  he  left 
behind  him  enterprises  l)e!jjun,  or  suggested,  greater 
than  those  he  had  acc(miplished.  As  an  incidental 
thing,  Mr.  Poor  sent  to  the  Legislature  a  petition  that 
a  new  county  should  be  formed  of  the  towns  now 
lying  in  the  valley  of  the  Sebasticook  River,  to  be 
called  Sebasticook.  He  was  much  pleased  with  the 
idea  of  making  a  naval  and  militaiy  station  uf  ]Mount 
Desert,  Maine ;  wrote  a  communication  to  the  gov- 
enior  nptm  the  subject,  with  statistics,  nd  procure  J 
the  passage  through  the  Legislature  of  a  n  solv  e  re- 
queslliig  the  governor  to  apply  to  Congress  lo  carry 
out  this  idea,  which  originated  with  General  Totten, 
Engineer  Corps.  It  was  also  through  his  persistent 
efforts  that  the  water  between  Cape  Sable  and  Caj>e 
Cod  was  named  the  "Gulf  of  Maine."  It  was  first 
so  called  on  the  map  of  the  United  States  Coast 
Survey,  at  his  personal  application.  Mr.  Poor  re- 
ceived no  pay  for  his  reports  on  the  Ilydrographic 
Survey,  on  Confederation,  to  the  General  Land  Office 
at  Washington,  to  the  American  Social  Science  Asso- 
ciation, for  his  address  at  Belfast, — all  dictated  after 
his  illness  in  August,  1866;  nor  for  his  historical 
labors. 

These  things,  however,  were  but  the  secondary 
suggestions  of  a  mind  which  neglected  nothing  that 
could  conduce  to  the  prosperity  of  Maine.  The 
great  work  of  the  closing  years  of  Mr.  Poor's  life 
was  his  third  great  railway  project.  This  was  in 
fact  the  complement  of  the  other  two,  for  he  felt 


'    ''\\ 


98 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


,  t 


■■■ft 


i 


:^-'  . 


that  tlio  C(»iunuM'('i.'il  powitiou  of  Mjiiue  and  of  Port- 
land wonld  not  ho  coniploto  till  this  wliould  be 
carried  out.  Through  Mr.  Poor^H  whole  lift',  no  on(3 
had  been  more  keenly  alive  to  the  demands  of  the 
hour  than  he.  The  great  problem  of  '*  cheaj)  trans- 
portation" impressed  itself  very  early  upon  Ids  mind, 
and  the  third  i!;reat  railway  whieh  he  pi'ojeoted  rone 
beyond  the  limits  of  a  loeul  line  and  wjis  an  attem[)t 
to  solve  this  problem.  We  have  but  imperfectly 
describetl  Mr.  Pt)or,  if  the  reader  has  not  recognized 
in  him,  an  enthusiasm  which  was  ca[)able  of  inspir- 
ing others  to  action,  a  pertinacity  which  never  n^lin- 
quished  an  object  of  which  he  had  once  really  taken 
liold,  a  versatility  which  enabled  him  to  seize  new 
phases  of  a  cause,  and  thus  to  turn  the  most  over- 
whelming defeats  into  tinal  victory.  To  carry  out 
this  third  railway  scheme  would,  therefore,  have 
been  entiivly  within  the  limit  of  his  powers. 

That  the  problem  of  "  cheap  transportation  "  had 
suggested  itself  to  his  mind,  before  it  bec^ime  uni- 
versally recognized  as  the  great  question  of  the  hour, 
in  the  United  States,  is  proved  by  Mr.  Poor's  letter 
to   tlie  Chicago   Ship  Canal   Convention   in   1863, 


where  he  says :  "  Your  call 


may  fairly  ojx^n 


the  entire  question  of  the  internal  commerce  of  tlie 
country,  and  the  means  of  transit  between  the  grain- 
growing  legions  of  the  interior  of  the  continent,  the 
great  Nortliwest,  and  their  place  of  market.  Ques- 
tions of  this  character  are  of  interest  to  all,  and  must 
for  years,  if  not  for  generations  to  come,  become  the 
most  engrossing  topic  of  public  concern.  .  .  . 
With  the  aid  of  all  existing  canals  and  railroads,  a 


3!; 


■tw-. 


^^ 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 


99 


buHlu'l  of  wlieat  in  tluj  Norfcliwcst  is  only  worth 
one  half  it8  vjihie  in  Liv(!r[)0()I,  so  unonnouH  is  the 
cost  of  prcHtait  tninH[K)rt}ition.  Tlie  qucHtiou  is, 
IIovv  sliiill  this  (lifticulty  ])e  overcome  ?  .  .  .  Wliat 
is  wanted  are  clieap  and  expeditious  means  of  transit 
from  tlie  Upper  Lakes  to  tlie  o[)en  sea."  And  tlie 
same  idea  is  tlie  key-note  of  all  the  speeches, 
memorials,  and  <locum(n>ts  written  by  Mr.  Poor 
from   1808,  onward,  in  relation    to   this   railway. 

Mr.  T\ittle  says:  "Always  aiming  to  achi«;ve 
great  commercial  results,  and  to  make  great  public 
improvements,  regardless  of  political  boundaries 
and  [>rejudices,  he  directed  the  whole  force  of  his 
energies,  early  in  18(»8,  to  the  carrying  out  of  his 
h)ng-meditated  plan  of  making  an  eastern  outlet,  for 
the  great  staple  commodities  of  the  West,  su[)ei'ior 
to  any  in  existence  or  hitherto  projected.  His  plan 
was  to  connect,  by  railway,  Chicago,  and  other 
great  commercial  centres  in  that  direction,  with  the 
capacious  harbor  of  Portland,  the  ocean  terminus  of 
his  other  great  railways.  But  this  did  not  em})race 
his  ultimate  design,  for  he  graspetl  the  commei'cial 
relations  of  the  whole  continent,  leaving  no  room  for 
another  railroad  projector  between  tlie  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  Ocean  in  these  hititudes.  He  looked  upon 
this  line,  designed  to  afford  cheap  and  ready  trans- 
portation of  bread-stuffs  to  the  Atlantic  States,  and 
to  Europe,  as  '  a  chief  link  in  that  golden  belt  which 
is  to  span  the  continent  of  North  America  at  its 
widest  pai-t,  under  the  name  of  "The  Transcon- 
tinental Railway." '  This  stupendous  design  had  for 
it?  object  the  connecting,  so  far  as  possible  by  rail- 


m 


■?^i 


■:k% 


loo       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

way,  of  the   great  commercial   centres  of  Europe, 
North  America,  and  Asia." 

Indeed,  in  1869,  Mr.  Poor  wrote  in  a  private  let- 
ter :  "  For  more  than  thirty  years  I  have  contemplated 
as  a  certainty  the  completion  of  a  line  of  railway' 
across  the  continent  of  North  America,  at  its  widest 
part,  as  the  means  of  securing  the  shortest  possible 
transit  of  passengers,  mails,  and  valuable  merchan- 
dise between  the  centres  of  Europe  and  Asia.  As 
early  as  1845  I  had  correspondence  with  Asa  Whit- 
ney on  the  subject." 

Mr.  Poor  procured  from  the  Legislature  a  charter 
from  Portland  to  Rutland,  Vermont,  by  way  of  the 
Ossipee  Valley,  White  River  Junction,  and  Wood- 
stock. The  line  then  went  to  Whitehall,  at  the  head 
of  Lake  Erie,  thence  to  Oswego,  near  the  lower  end 
of  Lake  Ontario,  from  Oswego  to  Buffalo,  at  the  foot 
of  Lake  Erie,  thence  to  Detroit  and  Chicago.  In 
1868  Mr.  Poor  wrote  from  Portland:  "Aline  run- 
ning due  west,  striking  White  River  Junction,  Wood- 
stock, Rutland,  and  Whitehall,  at  the  head  of  Lake 
Champlain,  will  enable  the  traveller  by  way  of 
Schenectady,  the  Suspension  Bridge,  and  Detroit,  to 
reach  Chicago  in  a  distance  of  1,045  miles  from 
Portland,  or  83  miles  shorter  than  by  any  other  route 
from  Europe."  In  a  prospectus  Mr.  Poor  invited  at- 
tention to  the  road  as  "  the  channel  of  a  vast  trade 
between  the  seaboard  and  the  interior.  Its  line  will 
be  a  great  immigrant  route  to  the  West,  as  it  occupies 
the  most  important  section  of  the  Transcontinental 
Raihvay,  and  must  command  a  large  through  travel. 
Its  construction  will  add  largely  to  the  trade  and 


i^>3'  ^ 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.       loi 

basmess  of  Portland  as  the  natural  shipping  port  of 
the  Northwest^ 

It  was  also  to  make  Portland  the  distributing 
point  of  western  produce  to  Boston  and  New  Eng- 
land, as  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  had  done  before 
it.  In  hid  speech  at  Bangor,  in  1869,  Mr.  Poor  said: 
"The  greatness  of  Maine  cannot  be  fully  compre- 
hended till  the  Transcontinental  Railway  is  under- 
stood, and  we  realize  in  practical  effect  our  com- 
manding geographical  position.  If  Portland  is  not 
so  near  the  West  as  New  York  City,  she  is  practically 
and  geographically  vastly  nearer  to  Europe.  The 
products  of  the  great  West  come  to  the  seaboard 
for  a  market,  Chicago,  the  great  centre  of  western 
trade,  sends  her  surplus  produce  to  New  York. 
This  is  now  the  beaten  track.  New  York  capital 
takes  from  the  western  farmer,  or  his  Chicago  mer- 
chant, his  crop  by  advancing  money  on  its  delivery 
to  the  railway.  But  the  market  for  the  western 
farmer  is  not  New  York  City,  but  New  England  and 
Europe,  and  the  practical  question  of  the  day  is,  how 
shall  the  western  faraier  reach  the  manufacturinj' 
towns  of  New  England  and  the  larger  markets  of 
Old  England  and  other  European  countries.  Nearly 
all  the  states  outside  New  England  raise  their  own 
bread  in  the  field.  New  England  raises  hers  in  the 
workshop  and  exchanges  Avith  the  western  farmer. 
Now  what  we  of  Portland  are  considering  is  this 
question :  Can  we  offer  the  cheapest  rates  of  transit, 
or,  in  other  words,  the  highest  price  for  western 
produce  ?  A  direct  line  of  railway  from  Chicaj^o  to 
Portland,  vith  favorable  grades  and  cheaper  cost, 


, 


I02        FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


will  allow  all  the  manufacturing  towns  on  the  Mer- 
rimac  and  Saco  to  get  their  supply  by  this  route 
without  handling  or  transshipment  by  means  of 
intersecting  lines  of  railway,  and  we  can  at  Portland 
bring  the  railroad  alongside  the  ocean  steamer, 
affording  cheaper  transit  from  Chicago  to  Liverpool 
or  Bremen  than  can  be  found  at  New  York." 

Had  the  citizens  of  Portland  snpported  Mr.  Poor's 
plan,  the  road  might  have  been  in  operation  long 
ago,  as  a  railway-building  period  continued  until  the 
panic  of  1873 ;  but  they  preferi-ed  to  follow  their 
own  devices,  and  opposed  him  violently.  It  would 
be  amusing,  if  it  were  not  pathetic,  to  see  how  con- 
stantly men  are  opposed  when  they  are  sincerely 
endeavoring  to  benefit  their  fellow-men  by  something 
new.  Mr.  Poor  offered  to  Bangor,  in  1853,  the  rail- 
road she  most  needed  ;  Mr.  Chester  W.  Chapin  offered 
to  Boston  the  road  which  Commodore  Vanderbilt 
purchased,  and  which  became  afterward  the  New 
York  Central ;  the  Iron  Mountain  Railroad,  which 
is  "  the  beginning  of  the  greatness  of  modern  St. 
Louis  and  the  first  dawn  of  the  new  era  of  thrift  in 
Missouri,"  could  not  borrow  $100,000  in  St.  Louis, 
and  was  obliged  to  go  to  New  York  for  it.  Profes- 
sor Agassiz  said  that  as  soon  as  he  announced  a 
discovery  in  science  j^eople  laughed  at  him;  next 
they  said  it  was  not  true.  When  he  succeeded  in 
proving  it,  they  declared  that  they  had  always 
thought  so.  Mr.  Poor's  experience  was  precisely 
similar.  Portland  had  already  the  Portland  and 
Rochester  road  running  westerly,  and  Mr.  Poor,  as 
an  experienced  railway  man,  proposed  to  utilize  this 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.        103 

by  making  it  a  trunk  line  for  at  least  eighteen  miles, 
then  tapping  it  at  proper  distances  for  the  Oswego 
road,  and  the  new  line  which  Portland  favored,  to 
Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.  He  made  his  proposition  to  the 
two  railways,  and  it  was  distinctly  refused,  though 
it  would  have  given  one  paying  road  to  the  city. 
Mr.  Poor's  railway  plan  ran  through  the  level  valley 
of  the  Ossipee,  over  a  thickly  settled  country  to  a 
trade  centre ;  the  Ogdensburg  through  the  White 
Mountains.  The  Ogdensburg  plan  was  well  known 
to  Mr.  Poor;  he  had  killed  it  once.  While  in 
Canada  in  1847,  the  Portland  delegation  were 
approached  by  Boston  gentlemen  interested  in  other 
lines.  A  road  from  Boston  to  Ogdensburg  had 
been  proposed  simultaneously  with  the  line  from 
Portland  to  Montreal,  as  a  rival  to  that  project ;  and 
the  friends  of  the  Ogdensburg  road  proposed  that 
Portland  should  abandon  the  Montreal  connection, 
turn  west  at  Island  Pond  to  Ogdensburg,  before 
reaching  Montreal.  But  the  Portland  gentlemen 
thought  differently,  and  declined  the  proposition ; 
the  growth  of  Montreal  and  the  decay  of  Ogdens- 
burg have  proved  their  wisdom.  The  Portland  and 
Ogdensburg  Railroad,  after  taking  nearly  two  mil- 
lions of  dollars  from  Portland,  has  passed  under  the 
control  of  Boston. 

But  in  the  true  pioneer  is  a  sacred  fire,  which  sneers 
and  frowns  fan  rather  than  extinguish.  As  the 
Boston  Journal  said :  "  Mr.  Poor  never  faltered  be- 
fore ridicule,  nor  succumbed  to  indifference.  A  vol- 
ume might  be  written  of  his  efforts — a  volume  worthy 
to  stand  on  the  same  shelf  with  the  life  of  Stephen- 


% 


m 


f 


a;;  'rni 


?H^5 


104        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 

son  aud  other  great  pioneers  of  railroading  on  both 
sides  of  the  water."  Instead  of  allowing  Portland 
to  take  the  consequences  of  her  folly,-^Mr.  Poor 
foi'med  a  plan  for  building  the  Oswego  I'oad. 

Mr.  Poor's  favorite  method  for  impressing  an  idea 
in  the  strongest  manner  upon  the  largest  number  of 
minds,  was  by  a  public  convention.  His  immense 
acquaintance  among  men  prominent  in  political,  his- 
torical, as  Avell  as  commercial  circles,  made  him  pe- 
culiarly fitted  to  call  together  these  conventions.  Mr. 
Tuctle  says :  "  He  conceiv^ed  the  idea  of  advancing 
the  interests  of  his  projected  road  by  an  international 
commercial  convention  to  be  held  at  Portland,  for 
the  purpose  of  concentrating  public  attention  n\  m 
the  splendid  harbor  there,  as  the  cheapest  port  of 
exportation  of  western  produce,  as  well  as  upon  his 
great  plan  of  a  direct  railway  across  the  continent 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  shore.  He  prepared 
a  call  for  the  convention,  in  which  he  set  forth,  with 
a  masterly  hand,  his  railway  plans  and  designs."  The 
convention  met  in  Portland  on  the  fourth  of  August, 
1868,  and  was  presided  over  by  Governor  Merrill,  of 
Iowa.  More  than  three  hundred  persons  responded, 
and  were  present,  many  of  them  distinguished  in 
public  life,  from  all  parts  of  the  United  States  and 
the  British  Provinces.  In  spite  of  active  opposition 
from  many  citizens  of  Portland,  the  convention  was 
a  brilliant  success,  and  Mr.  Poor's  plan  was  heartily 
endorsed. 

He  said :  "  Two  facts  are  necessarily  to  be  estab- 
lished to  secure  assent  to  the  doings  of  this  conven- 
tion.    First,   the   superiority   in   speed   of  railway 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.       105 

transit  over  water  transportation ;  and  second,  that 
the  widest  part  of  the  continent  of  North  America 
lies  in  the  direct  line  from  Hong  Kong  to  London. 
These  two  propositions  admitted,  no  one  can  doubt 
that  the  laws  of  commercial  gravitation  will  force 
the  construction  of  such  lines  of  railway  as  will 
reduce  the  transit  between  the  Orient  and  the  Occi- 
dent to  its  lowest  possible  limit  of  time  and  ex- 
pense." Mr.  Poor's  rallying  cry,  "  From  Hong  Kong 
to  London,"  has  now  been  adopted  by  the  Canadian 
Pacific ! 

Mr.  Tuttle  says:  "In  the  last  of  June,  1869,  he 
delivered  before  a  railroad  convention,  at  Rutland, 
an  address  on  the  subject  of  his  plan  for  a  continen- 
tal railway,  but  more  especially  in  favor  of  building, 
at  once,  the  road  from  Portland  to  Rutland  and  Os- 
wego. This  address  fills  seventy-five  octavo  pages, 
find  bears  the  mark  of  a  mature  judgment,  profound 
and  various  knowledge  on  the  subject  of  the  economy 
of  railroads,  and  of  their  relations  to  the  commerce 
of  the  country." 

Mr.  Poor  drew  up  a  bill  which  was  presented  in 
Congress,  in  January,  1871,  and  which  was  to  be 
applied  in  aid  of  the  Portland,  Rutland,  Osweg(^,  and 
Chicago  Railway.  Mr.  Hamlin,  January  nineteenth, 
asked  and  obtained  by  unanimous  consent  leave 
of  the  United  States  Senate  to  bring  in  a  bill  to 
secure  cheap  transportation  of  breadstuffs  and  pro- 
visions from  the  West  to  the  seaboard  at  uniform 
rates  throughout  the  year.  He  explained  it  thus: 
"  It  secures  direct  and  rapid  communication  betw^een 
the  West  and  Europe  by  finding  an  ocean  outlet  two 


|( 


•i'fiij 


ii 

II 


io6       FIRS T  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IVA  Y. 

Lundred  and  sixty  miles  nearer  Europe  than  any 
other  in  the  United  States  that  has  commercial  ad- 
vantages; and  prevents  the  extortions  of  combina- 
tions by  placing  a  regulating  power  in  the  hands  of 
the  government.  It  does  not  take  a  dollar  from  the 
public  treasury,  or  ask  a  foot  of  land.  It  asks  the 
government  to  become  a  guarantor,  by  the  issue  of 
its  bonds,  and  receive  as  security  the  first  mortgage 
bonds  of  a  first-class  corporation,  on  such  terms  as 
will  protect  the  nation  from  loss  in  any  contingency." 
It  will  be  found  among  the  printed  writings. 

The  Bostmi  Journal  said :  "  His  bill  does  not 
ask  a  cent  of  money  nor  an  acre  of  land  from  gov- 
ernment ;  it  is  the  first  of  the  kind  introduced  to 
the  attention  of  Congress — a  novelty  in  its  way.  It 
provides  for  a  contract  by  the  Postmaster-General 
with  the  Portland,  Rutland,  Oswego,  and  Chicago 
Railway  Company  to  construct  and  maintain  a 
double-track  line  of  raihvay,  with  an  adequate  equip- 
ment, and  with  steel  rails  and  iron  bridges.  Upon 
the  completion  and  equipment  of  forty  miles  of  the 
road,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  is  to  issue  to  the 
company  United  States  bonds,  payable  in  thirty 
years,  to  the  amount  of  fifty  thousand  dollars  per 
mile,  which  issue  shall  constitute  ipso  facto  a  first 
mortgage  on  the  whole  line  of  the  road  and  property 
of  the  company,  and  so  on  for  p*^ery  forty  miles 
completed ;  the  interest  and  bonas  as  they  fall  due 
to  be  paid  by  the  company ;  the  location  to  be  ap- 
proved by  an  engineer  appointed  by  the  President  of 
the  United  States ;  and  the  railway  is  declared  to 
be  a  '  national  highway  and  a  post-road  ^ ;  Congress 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.       107 

to  pass  all  needful  laws  for  protection  of  the  same  ; 
and  it  is  made  the  duty  of  each  state  through 
which  it  passes  to  cede  jurisdiction  over  the  terri- 
toiy  occupied  by  the  road.  In  case  of  failure  to 
pay  the  interest  on  bonds,  it  is  made  the  duty  of 
the  Postmaster-General  to  take  possession  of  the  line 
and  run  the  road  to  the  expense  of  the  company, 
and  Congress  shall  dispose  of  it  '  as  to  justice  and 
equity  may  appertain.'  The  rate  of  fares  and  freight 
to  be  established  by  the  company  shall  be  subject 
to  revision  and  alteration  by  Congress,  and  to  be 
uniform  throughout  the  year.  Government  may  at 
any  time  take  possession  of  the  road,  franchise,  and 
property  of  the  company,  paying  such  compensation 
therefor  as  may  be  awarded  by  commissioners." 

In  July,  1871,  occurred  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Portland,  Rutland,  Oswego,  and  Chicago  Railway 
Company.  It  was  made  the  occasion  for  another 
convention,  in  which  prominent  men  took  part  from 
all  sections  of  the  line.  The  Governor  of  Maine 
presided.  Senator  Hamlin  made  a  speech  explain- 
ing the  bill  before  Congress.  Mr.  Poor,  as  presi- 
dent of  the  company,  presented  their  annual  report 
at  the  meeting.  His  versatile  and  comprehensive 
mind  had  prepared  a  plan  for  building  the  road. 
Six  railway  companies  along  the  projected  route  had 
agreed  to  unite  and  act  as  one  company.  The  repre- 
sentatives of  five  companies  were  present,  ready  to 
sign  the  contract  of  union ;  owing  to  the  delay  of 
one  company,  the  joint  agreement  could  not  be  car- 
ried into  effect  at  that  meeting,  and  it  was  adjourned 
till  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  September.    On  the 


If 


It 


if! 


^'M 


-  s^ 


108        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

fifth  of  September,  the  greut  head  of  the  entei-prise 
died  smhlenly  without  a  moment's  warning,  forty- 
four  years  from  the  day  of  leaving  home,  twenty- 
seven  years  from  his  conmiunicatiou  to  the  Sherhrooke 
Gazette. 

The  Christian  Mirror  said :  "  Tlie  deceased 
wrought  to  the  very  last  in  his  life's  mission.  The 
same  morning  Mr.  Pooi*  died,  the  Argun  contained 
an  article  on  '  Railroad  Improvements,'  with  the 
well-known  initials  J.  A.  P. 

"  As  Mr.  Poor  left  his  office  Monday  night,  for  the 
last  time,  and  handed  some  manuscript  copy  to  his 
clerk,  he  playfully  said  :  *  What  will  the  railroad 
people  do  after  I  am  gone  ? '  This  may  have  been 
the  involuntary  suggestion  of  overwrought  nature, 
made  all  unconsciously  by  one  who  forgot  himself 
in  his  work ;  but  the  first  thought  in  many  a  mind 
on  hearing  of  Mr.  Poor's  death,  Tuesday  morning, 
was  in  substance  the  last  official  expression  of  his 
lips  the  night  previous  :  What  will  become  of  our 
railroad  interests  now  that  Mr.  Poor  is  gone  ?  Who 
like  him  will  make  the  public  weal  his  mission,  so 
that  it  may  be  said  of  his  life,  its  flower  and  fruitage 
was  the  public  good  ?  " 

Mr.  Tuttle  said  :  "  His  death  made  a  profound 
sensation,  for  he  had  been  publicly  and  widely 
known  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  All  classes  of 
the  community  expressed  the  sincerest  sorrow.  In 
the  Superior  Court  appropriate  notice  of  his  decease 
was  taken  by  the  Bar.  The  City  Government  and 
the  Board  of  Trade  of  Portland  passed  resolutions 
expressing  their  sense  of  his  merits  and  the  public 


w 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.       109 

loss.  The  Maine  Historical  Society  held  a  special 
meeting,  and  passed  a  s<Ties  of  resolutions,  express- 
ing a  sense  of  deep  o])ligation  to  Mr.  Poor  for  his 
great  services  in  the  depai-tnient  of  history,  as  well 
as  in  behalf  of  the  material  interests  of  the  state,  and 
declaring  tiiat  he  is  entitled  to  be  considered  a  pub- 
lic benefactor,  and  to  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance 
by  his  fellow-citizens."  The  newspapers  of  Rutland, 
Woodstock,  Glenn's  Falls,  Oswego,  Jackson  Michi- 
gan, and  Boston  contained  notices  of  him  ;  a  despatch 
from  a  prominent  railroad  man  said  :  "  It  is  no  less 
a  public  calamity  than  a  personal  sorrow."  The 
Michigan  newspaper  said  :  *'  His  loss  at  this  time 
is  national  rather  than  local.  Twenty  millions  of 
people,  including  those  of  the  entire  Northwest,  are 
interested  in  the  new  outlet  proposed  to  the  ocean  ; 
and  it  will  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  we  fear,  to 
find  the  man  or  men  to  fill  the  place  he  has  left  va- 
cant." No  one  has  been  found  ;  the  road  was  never 
begun  ;  and  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  has  carried 
out  Mr.  Poor's  idea  with  a  terminus  in  Canada. 

The  technical  cause  of  his  death  was  the  breaking 
down  of  the  walls  of  the  heart  ;  but  it  is  doubly 
true  that  he  died  of  a  broken  heart.  The  loss  of  his 
suit  against  the  European  and  North  American  Rail- 
way ;  the  accusation  that  he  was  working  in  the 
interest  of  Boston ;  the  triumph  of  consolidation ; 
the  delays  in  the  Osw*ego  road,  actually  brought 
him  to  his  death.  "  Then  burst  his  mighty  heart," 
— in  the  fulness  of  his  intellectual  powers,  in  the 
splendor  of  his  undimmed  beauty,  he  passed  to  his 
reward  in  a  better  world. 


(* 


'.  ►" 


%M 


I  lo       F/RS  T  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


, ,» 


The  early  history  of  Maine  is  as  pictures(iiie  as  its 
scenery.  Not  more  do  its  pine-clad,  wave-washed 
cliffs  differ  from  the  flat,  sandy  slun'es  of  Massachu- 
setts, than  do  the  gi'im  and  colorless  lives  of  the 
Puritan  settlers  from  the  conflicts  and  vicissitudes  of 
the  Maine  colonists.  French  Protestant  and  French 
Romanist,  gentleman,  fisherman,  priest ;  English  Cava- 
lier, English  Puritan ;  Scotch,  Scotch-Irish,  Ger- 
man, Dutch,  assisted  immigrant,  have  in  turn  owned 
and  occu^ned  its  territory,  each  contesting  the  land 
title  of  its  predecessor.  Undoubtedly  the  vigor  and 
originality  of  the  Maine  character  is  due  to  the 
admixture  of  races.  Barbarous  Indians  could  easily 
swoop  down  from  Canada  upon  its  exposed  frontiers 
whenever  the  interests  of  France  demanded  it. 

It  is  hard  to  realize  that  before  the  Pilgrims  set 
foot  on  Plymouth  there  were  English  fishing  stations, 
and  even  settlements,  on  its  coiist ;  that  Robert  Jor- 
dan, a  Church-of -England  clergyman,  in  1640,  by  his 
intelligence  and  firmness  suppressed  the  fii*st  attempt 
of  "  the  villainy  of  witchcraft  in  Maine  " ;  that  Maine 
eastward  from  the  Kennebec  was  first  Acadia,  then 
Nova  Scotia  until  1759,  when  Massachusetts  for- 
mally set  up  its  jurisdiction  on  the  Penobscot ;  that 
French  settlements  existed  at  Norridgewock  holding 
the  Kennebec  until  1724,  at  Castine  until  1745,  at 
Lubeck  in  1758  ;  that  France  claimed  the  territory 
until  after  the  Revolution;  that  patriots  fled  from 
Nova  Scotia  to  Machias,  Maine,  and  by  their  bravery 
and  wisdom  caused  the  St.  Croix  instead  of  the 
Penobscot  to  become  the  boundary  line  of  the 
United  States ;  that  tories  fled  from  Boston  to  Cas- 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.       ixi 


tine  "  to  seek  an  ftsyluni  from  the  tyranny  of  Con- 
grews,"  uiul  endeavored  to  found  the  royal  province 
of  New  Ireland,  to  extend  from  the  Penobscot  to  the 
St.  Croix  ;  that  the  final  evacuation  of  the  United 
States  was  not  at  New  York  in  1783,  but  at  Castine 
in  January,  1784;  that  in  the  war  of  1812  the  in- 
habitants of  Machias  and  Eastport  were  required  to 
take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  British  Crown,  as 
occupying  British  territoiy. 

Mr.  Tuttle  says :  "  Mr.  Poor's  historical  investi- 
gations, "vliich  form  no  inconsiderable  part  of  his 
title  to  ^  ablic  consideration  and  remembrance,  oc- 
cupied much  of  his  attention  during  the  best  years 
of  his  life.  However  widely  different  this  interest 
may  seem  from  +he  leading  pursuit  of  his  life,  it 
is  embraced  in  his  early  design  to  place  his  native 
state,  in  all  respects,  Avhere  the  motto  on  its  official 
seal  assigns  her.  *  If  there  is  any  thing,*  he  says, 
*  which  I  desire  above  all  things  else,  it  is  to  do 
what  in  me  lies  for  the  honor,  the  welfare,  and  the 
glory  and  renown  of  Maine.  It  is  my  native  state, 
and  I  inherit,  perhaps  to  a  fault  of  weakness,  a 
love  for  her  as  my  native  land  and  home.  I  have 
seen  something  of  other  states  and  other  lands, 
and  until  I  had  gone  abroad,  I  never  knew  the 
true  beauty,  the  inherent  greatness,  the  wondei-ful 
resources  of  Maine ;  so  rich  in  its  natural  scenery, 
so  full  of  all  the  elements  of  wealth  and  power,  and 
so  capable  of  the  highest  results  of  the  most  refined 
civilization.' 

"  His  interest  in  local  history  must  have  begun 
early,  for  he  furnished  AVilliamson  for  the  history  of 


m 


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Maiiio,  u  sk<»l('h  of  IiIm  imtivo  (own,  \vliil(i  a  Hlndciit 
of  law.  Soiiu*  actniaiiiianct"  with  lli(>  provincial 
ami  aiil('|>rovincial  liislory  of  Maiiu*  lu^  iiniHt 
liavo  iua<l(^  Nvhil(>  Iraciii^  (lu^  (illc  (o  laiHln  in  [\w 
W'a/.io  Huit.  His  iiit(>n»s|.  in  i\\{>  IiIhIiM'V  of  Maiiio 
was  inu<'li  stinnilal('(l  hy  liis  (wiMTiciicc  in  ('aiuula,  in 
lSir>.  wluMi  llu^  (MMnincrcial  position  of  Maine  wan 
maU'lu'd  wilh  Massj'.t'lmst'tlM  in  iluwonlcHi,  for  llu^ 
Allanlii'  ItMininnH  of  his  proji'rtod  railway.  His 
opponiMils  did  not,  Hpart>  Ids  nali\M»  hUvU\  nor  for«:;('t 
liow  nvcntly  slu*  wji.t  Mubslanlially  a  provin<'()  of 
l\las!*aolinMotts.  NcitlnM*  I'onnncrcially,  nor  polili- 
oally,  nor  historically,  was  sh(>  allowed  the  slandiniif 
he  I'lainieil  for  Ium",  l»y  ihost^  oj)|)osed  lo  Portland  an 
the  tenninus  of  the  railway.  His  indimiation  waH 
thon>iii;hly  a'oused,  and  he  resolved  to  exaininu 
more  tlu>roui;hly,  not  only  the  merits  of  his  own  stat.e, 
l>nt  tlie  fonndatit»n  of  the  pretences  of  h(>r  assailants. 

'* 'l'lu»  next  year,  184(>,  he  was  chosen  u  mend)er  of 
the  Maine  Historical  Society,  and  was  a  mt)st  usefnl 
and  active  mend)er  to  the  end  of  his  days.  It  was 
at  this  time  that  (iori:;es'  '  liriefe  Narration'  ap- 
]>eared  in  the  second  volnme  of  the  collections  of  tim 
Maine  Historical  Six'iety,  and  lixed  Ids  attention 
upon  this  great  author  whom  he  never  after  ceased 
to  praise  and  to  honi)r.  He  devoted  his  leisnro 
time  to  the  study  of  the  early  liistory  of  New  Kmr- 
land,  seeking  for  the  facts  in  documents  ami  publi- 
cations of  that  period,  rather  than  in  Liter  writers. 

"His  interest  in  the  subject  grew^  stronger  us  he 
advanced,  and  when  lie  ti'aced  English  navigators 
and  English  settlei*s  to  the  shores  of  Maine  prior  to 


w 


77/ A'  LIFE  ()/•'  JOHN  A  I.I' NED  I'OOU.        113 


KiL'O,  (111'  nHHmiH'«I  Ix'iKiiiniii!.';  of  Now  iMiL'^ljind 
liiHloi-y,  ill*'  Huhjrcl,  Ik-cuiim!  n  |))iHHi<»ii  with  liim, 
i\\\i\    iH'Vcr  jilti»l,»^(l    wliilr   Im   lived, 

"  AiM(»iiL(  I.Ik^  m<!iii<>i'ul>I<i  liisloricul  <»rciirn'ri(r(!H, 
r()niM'<'((Ml  widi  cjiily  Miii^IiHli  ('oloniz.'iiioii  in  ArrK'.r- 
i(wi.,  (.Iu)H«'!  vvirM'li  (iiiUHpinid  vvilliiii  (lie  liiriiln  of 
Miiiiie  prior  to  iiiiy  conHcfcnilcd  in  our  |»oj>ulnr 
liistoi'y,  i/ijidt"  H  deep  itnprcHHion  on  Iiin  mind.  Noi 
IcHH  inipn^ssive  vvuh  IIhi  fju-i  l.lml,  proniirK^iif,  ninori^ 
IIm'  iioM<i  men  conccrnrd  in  llini  ^rcul.  )iclii(!V('in(!nf, 
wITn-li  Hcciircd  foi'  l^jii^Iuiid  a  por(.i(»n  of  ilie  vuHt 
doni.'iin  of  (Ik^  New  \V<)rld,  was  Sii'  K<^rdinjindo 
(}<>rL!;(V'^,  tin*  illnslrioiiM  founder  of  Maine,  Ahhooiiuh 
\w.  Iiad  inaHl<'re(l  (lie  liiHtory  of  ICnii;liHli  ('oionizalion 
on  this  eoniineni,  he  niKolved  t,(>  ^ive  to  Maine;  and 
f.o  Iiei"  <i;re}it  founder  tlieir  t.rne  liiHioric  position  in 
New  Knjjjland  liislory, 

"TIk!  lirst  fruit  of  lii.s  liiHtoriejd  Htu<II«;M  and  inveHti- 
gation,  was  ati  <;l;d»(tr;i,(e  pap(ir  on  '  ICni^lisIi  ('oloni- 
zation  in  Aineiien,'  wliieli  lie,  rc^ad  Ixifore  tin;  Maino 
Ilistoricid  Soci(;ty,  in  June,  IS;")!),  ami  also  hefoi-e,  tlio 
New  York  IIIstorI(\*il  Society,  in  (hrtolxM*  following, 
reaiivint;  IIk;  tliaidvs  of  both  Hoeietif'M.  In  thiw 
]»ap(;r,  w!ii(di  attracted  a  i^ood  (h'n!  of  attention 
amoniL^  liiHtorieal  Htudcnits,  Ik;  <le('lared  his  int(!ntion 
to  })e  "  to  trac(5  the  earlictHt  pi'actical  elfoilH  to  ])lant 
the  English  race;  in  America,  an«l  to  vindicate  the 
claims  of  Sir  Ferdiiiando  Gor^^es,  the  proj)rietor  of 
my  native  state,  to  the  proud  title  of  Fdth/'r  of 
KryjliHh  (hlonization  in  Atnerica^ 

"The  title  by  which  England  held  poHHCHsions  in 
North  America,  and  the  services  of  those  actively 


V 


hm 


,i„V 


1 14        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IVA  Y. 

concerned  in  securing  this  title,  and  maintaining  it 
by  acts  of  jurisdiction  and  possession,  to  tlie  exclu- 
sion of  other  European  nations,  were  the  points 
which  he  aimed  to  make  conspicuous,  to  whicli  to 
invite  public  attention.  He  fixed  upon  the  royal 
charter  granted  by  King  James  of  England  to  a 
company  of  his  subjects,  April  10,  IGOO,  authorizing 
the  'planting  of  colonies  or  plantations  in  North 
America,'  between  the  thirty-fourth  and  forty-fifth 
degrees  of  latitude,  as  the  initial  step  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  English  title  to  New  England.  The 
taking  of  formal  possession  under  this  charter,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Sngadahoc,  now  Kennebec  River, 
August  19,  1607,  by  a  band  of  English  colonists,  he 
regarded  as  the  consummation  of  the  English  title, 
and  as  the  great  event  in  Amencan  history. 

"  To  the  enterprising  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  whom 
he  so  much  resembled  in  energy  of  character,  per- 
sistency, and  public  spirit,  he  awards  the  merit  of 
saving  the  territory  of  New  England  from  the  grasp 
of  the  French,  and  of  introducing  and  settling  it 
with  English  colonists.  'But  for  Gorges,' he  says, 
'the  western  continent  must  have  fallen  under  the 
dominion  of  Roman  Catholic  France,  and  Celtic 
civilization  would  have  changed  its  destiny  ;  for  all 
New  England  was  in  possession  of  the  French  prior 
to  1606.'^ 

"  He  expresses  his  indignation  in  strong  terms  at  the 
treatment  which  Gorges  and  his  associates  received 
at  the  hands  of  their  Puritan  contemporaries,  and  of 
our  historians  on  account  of  their  religious  and 
political  attachments  in  that  age,  and  rejoices  that 


in 


4^ 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.        115 

the  time  lias  come  when  a  more  liberal  s})irit  pre- 
vails, and  when  the  merits  of  these  men  can  be 
recognized.  '  But  Gorges'  fame/  he  adds,  '  shall 
yet  eclipse  that  of  any  other  name  in  our  American 
annals.  My  native  state  has  been  remiss  in  the  dis- 
charge of  this  duty,  and  supinely  allowed  the  history 
of  New  England  to  cluster  around  the  rock  of 
Plymouth  instead  of  standing  clearly  out  in  the 
earlier  deeds  of  the  great  minds  that  saved  New 
England  and  the  continent  from  the  grasp  of  the 
French.' 

"  Designing  to  procure  some  honorable  recognition 
in  Maine,  for  the  name  of  Gorges,  he  drew  up,  in 
1860,  a  petition  addressed  to  the  secretary  of  war, 
and  procured  signers  to  it,  asking  that  the  new  fort 
in  Portland  harbor  may  be  named  Fort  Gorges,  and 
it  was  ordered  to  take  this  name.  He  had  a  design 
to  form  an  association  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a 
monument  to  the  memory  of  Gorges,  within  the 
limits  of  the  ancient  'Province  of  Mayne.' 

"  The  position  he  had  taken  with  regard  to  the  his- 
torical and  political  significance  of  the  royal  charter 
of  1606,  and  the  settlement  at  Sagadahoc  the  follow- 
ing year,  awakened  a  new  interest,  especially  in 
Maine,  in  the  subject  of  English  colonization  in  New 
England.  The  transfer  of  the  point  of  the  initial 
movement  of  English  colonization  from  the  shores 
of  Massachusetts  to  the  shores  of  IVIaine,  and  the 
placing  of  Gorges  at  the  head  of  it,  created  a  iiew 
era  in  historical  investigation. 

"  Believing  the  settlement  at  Sagadahoc  to  have  all 
the  significance  which  !ie  claimed  for  it,  he  aimed  to 


9i 


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1 16       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

direct  public  attention  to  the  event,  and  to  revive 
the  memory  of  the  actors  in  the  great  enterprise.  In 
the  autumn  of  1861,  he  persuaded  Mr.  Williams,  his 
associate  commissioner  on  the  coast  defences  of 
Maine,  to  join  with  him  in  an  application  to  the  Sec- 
retary of  War,  requesting  that  the  new  fort  about  to 
be  erected  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec  River,  on 
the  site  of  the  first  settlement,  may  be  named  Fort 
Popliam,  in  honor  of  the  venerable  George  Pop- 
ham,  who  led  the  first  British  colony  into  New 
England  in  1607.  This  name  was  approved  by  the 
national  government,  and  the  work  of  construction 
begun. 

"  His  associates  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society, 
approving  his  design  of  attaching  these  historic 
names  of  Popham  and  Gorges  to  gi'eat  national 
works  of  defence  within  the  state,  joined  readily 
with  him  in  a  design  to  place  a  memorial  stone,  with 
apj)ropriate  inscriptions,  in  the  walls  of  Foii;  Pop- 
ham.  Leave  to  do  this  being  obtained  of  the 
government,  it  was  agreed  by  all  intei-ested  to  make 
the  act  of  placing  the  stone  in  position  one  of 
solemn  commemoration ;  and  August  29,  1862, 
being  the  anniversary  of  the  settlement,  was  se- 
lected for  the  commemoration  service.  A  large 
executive  committee,  of  which  Mr.  Poor  was  one, 
consisting  of  leading  citizens  in  all  parts  of  the  state, 
carried  out  the  design  on  a  scale  commensurate 
with  the  magnitude  and  importance  of  the  occasion. 
He  was  selected  to  deliver  the  historical  address, 
while  several  of  his  distinguished  associates  of  the 
Historical   Society  performed  conspicuous  parts  in 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.        117 

the  commemoration  services.  He  deliv^ered  the 
address  at  Fort  Popham  on  the  two  hundred  and 
fifty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  event,  in  the  presence  of 
the  principal  officers  of  state,  and  of  many  distin- 
guished persons  from  other  New  England  states. 
It  is  estimated  that  six  thousand  persons  were 
present  on  the  occasion.  It  was  a  day  never  forgot- 
ten by  him ;  for  this  act  and  this  ceremonial  were  the 
result  of  his  own  efforts  to  secure  for  Maine  her  true 
place  in  history.  His  address  was  appropriate,  full 
of  historical  research,  and  contained  a  complete  nar- 
rative of  English  colonization  on  these  shores.  He 
enforced  his  views  of  the  importance  of  the  event 
with  vigorous  reasoning  and  with  full  historical 
illustration.  This  address,  and  the  one  on  English 
colonization,  with  many  historical  papers  procured 
by  him  from  European  archives,  are  printed  in  the 
memorial  volume  of  the  Popham  celebration. 

"  About  this  time  he  drew  up  a  memorial  asking  for 
an  appropriation  to  defray  the  expense  of  procuring 
copies  of  documents  bearing  on  the  early  history  of 
Maine,  from  the  British  State-Paper  Office ;  and  was 
Joined  in  this  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Woods  and  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Ballard,  both  eminent  historical  scholars,  and 
deeply  interested  in  Mr.  Poor's  historical  investiga- 
tions. This  memorial  was  presented  to  the  Legis- 
lature and  an  appropriation  made."  A  similar 
memorial  was  presented  to  Congress  in  1889  signed 
by  college  professors  and  officers  of  historical 
societies  throughout  the  country. 

"  Commemorative  services  have  been  held  annually 
ever  since  at  Fort  Popham.     On  nearly  every  occa- 


•jimMsA 


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I  -I'i.  t: 


1 1 8       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

sion  he  has  been  present  and  taken  part  in  the 
proceedings.  In  1868  he  prepared  and  read  there 
an  elaborate  address,  in  which  he  restated  his  posi- 
tion on  the  '  Popham  question,'  as  it  is  called,  added 
some  freshly  discovered  evidence  in  support  of  his 
views,  chiefly  from  De  Carayon,  and  reviewed  the 
various  attacks  made  on  the  position  he  had  taken  with 
regard  to  the  historical  and  political  importance  of 
the  settlement  under  Popham.  He  was  present 
there,  for  the  last  time,  on  the  two  hundred  and 
sixty-second  anniversaiy  of  the  event,  and  made  a 
brief  speech. 

"At  the  field  meeting  of  the  Historical  Society 
held  in  the  ancient  town  of  York  on  the  twenty-ninth 
of  August,  1870,  he  was  present  and  read  a  carefully 
prepared  paper,  reviewing  the  events  leading  to 
colonization  on  these  shores,  and  introducing  imjior- 
tant  documentary  evidence,  recently  obtained  from 
European  archives  through  the  agency  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Woods,  bearing  on  the  title  which  England 
assei-ted  to  the  tenitory  of  New  England  in  1613, 
when  Argall  destroyed  the  French  settlement  at 
Moiuit  Desert.  It  appears  that  the  English  govern- 
ment justified  the  act  of  Argall  on  the  ground  that 
the  French  were  then  within  the  limits  of  territory 
granted  to  English  subjects,  1606,  who  were  in 
possession  of  the  same ;  and  that  France  acquiesced 
in  the  claim.  A  few  days  later,  at  a  joint  meeting 
of  the  Maine  and  New  Hampshire  Historical  Socie- 
ties, held  at  Portsmouth,  he  was  present,  and  m.ade 
a  brief  characteristic  speech,  reviewing  the  early 
history  of  the  two  states,  which  closed  his  public 
historical  addresses. 


y 

c 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.       119 

"  It  is  quite  impossible  to  give  an  adequate  idea,  in 
this  brief  sketch,  of  Mr.  Poor's  historical  laboi-s, 
covering  a  period  of  more  than  fifteen  years.  The 
results  are  known  and  appreciated  by  historical  stu- 
dents. Besides  awakening  a  general  interest  in 
our  early  history,  he  gave  an  immense  impulse  to 
the  work  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society ;  resulting 
in  sending  the  Rev.  Dr.  Woods  to  Europe  to  make 
historical  researches,  bearing  on  the  early  discovery 
and  settlement  of  Maine,  and  in  the  publication 
of  a  valuable  volume  on  discovery,  soon  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  others  on  colonization.  Long  before  his 
death  he  had  no  superior  in  knowledge,  and  in  ap- 
preciation of  our  early  history.  He  was  member  of 
the  New  England  Historic,  Geneological  Society,  and 
corresponding  member  of  the  Historical  Societies  of 
New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  New  York,  and  Pennsyl- 
vania." 

Mr.  Poor's  main  proposition  is  incontrovertible, 
though  it  has  been  misunderstood  and  therefore  mis- 
represented. 

It  is  well  explained  in  the  following  newspaper 
article  written  by  Mr.  Poor  himself  answering  attacks : 

"The  value  of  the  Popham  settlement,  as  it  seems 
to  me,  depends  upon  its  influence  in  establishing  the 
title  of  Old  England,  to  the  territory  of  New  Eng- 
land. To  determine  this,  we  must  resort  to  the  co- 
temporaiy  history  of  the  times.  We  need  not  claim 
for  it  anything  more,  as  a  settlement,  than  a  writer 
declares  it  to  have  been,  '  an  abortive  settlement  on 
the  sand  spit  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kennbec,'  if  it 
accomplished  the  purpose  of  making  good  the  title 
of  England  to  the  country.     That  is  the  question  in- 


\i 


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I  ao       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 

volved  in  the  celebration,  and  those  who  have  exam- 
ined it,  in  the  light  of  modern  discoveiy,  find  the 
proof  satisfactory  to  their  own  minds. 

"  The  discovery  of  the  continent  of  America  changed 
the  commercial  if  not  the  political  ideas  of  Europe. 
The  Pope  promptly  donated  the  new^  world  to  Spain 
and  Portugal.  But  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  the 
people  of  England,  having  become  enfi'anchised  from 
Catholic  rule,  asserted  a  new  doctrine  in  regard  io 
the  rights  of  nations,  repudiating  the  claim  of  the 
Pope,  and  held  that  possession  of  a  newly  discovered 
country  was  essential  to  the  establishment  of  title. 
France  agreed  to  the  same  doctrine,  and  in  all  the 
early  charters  of  both  France  and  England  for  the 
peopling  of  North  America,  there  was  a  reservation 
that  no  right  of  occupation  was  granted  where  the 
country  ^tvas  actually  possessed  by  any  Christian 
Pi'tnce  or  people!'  This  language  was  used  in  the 
first  Virginia  charter  of  King  James,  April  10, 1606, 
granting  the  country  between  the  38  and  45th  deg. 
north  latitude.  The  French  charter  to  De  Monts, 
of  Nov.  8,  1603,  granted  the  territory  between  40 
and  46  deg.  of  north  latitude,  under  which  the  coun- 
try was  possessed,  from  Cape  Breton  to  Cape  Cod. 
This  charter  was  revoked  in  1607,  and  before  Cham- 
plain  had  obtained  foothold  in  Canada.  This  Act 
in  the  English  grant  took  precedence  of  the  French 
title  to  Canada,  and  in  this  way,  the  forty-Jifth  par- 
allel of  latitude  became  the  boundary  line,  from 
Lake  Champlain  to  the  Connecticut,  between  the 
French  and  English.  But  for  the  revocation  of  De 
Monts'  charter,  in  1607,  the  French,  as  all  now  admit, 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.        121 

would  Lave  held  the  couutiy  from  the  40th  parallel 
north.  If  your  readers  will  examine  the  letter  of 
the  French  historian,  L'Escarbot,  to  Louis  XIII, 
written  in  1618,  a  translation  of  which  will  be  found 
in  the  Popham  memorial  volume,  they  will  be  able 
to  comprehend  the  importance  of  the  settlement  of 
Sabino. 

"  Formal  possession  of  the  country  was  there  taken, 
Aug.  29,  1607,  claiming  it  from  the  34th  to  the  45th 
deg.  north  latitude,  and  this  claim  was  always  and 
pertinaciously  maintained.  The  (question  was  a  novel 
one  and  information  limited,  and  there  was  great 
difficulty  in  getting  parties  to  remain  in  the  countiy. 
Gorges  actually  hired  men  for  this  purpose.  The 
title  of  Sagadahoc  was  fully  established  by  continuous 
occupation.  The  French  Jesuits  say,  that  the  English 
were  there  in  1608  and  1609.  When  Samuel  Arcjall 
made  a  voyage  from  Jamestown  to  Bermuda,in  161 0, — 
according  to  Piuchon  (vol.  IV,  p.  1758,)  '  missing  the 
same  on  account  of  the  fog,  he  put  over  to  Sagadahoc.^ 
Edward  Harlow  and  Nicholas  Hobson  made  voyages 
there  in  1611.  Richard  Vines  who  came  over  in 
1609  remained  continuously  in  the  country  and  win- 
tered at  Saco  in  1616.  They  all  claimed  to  hold  the 
country  under  the  charter  of  1606,  and  the  French- 
men occupied  West  Sagadahoc  after  1607.  So 
anxious  was  Gorges  to  hold  the  country,  against  the 
French,  Spanish,  and  Dutch  claimants,  that  he 
invited  the  Leyden  flock  hither  in  1617,  and  they 
came  over  in  1620,  under  the  protection  of  Gorges. 
Capt.  John  Smith  in  1614  gave  the  country  the  name 
of  New  England,  and  made  a  map  of  it  from  actual 


p  ,)\^ 


%il 


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i, 

■   ■■'.  ^'i' 


122        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  JVA  Y. 


Si:     '    '■ 


'     i 


surveys  from  tlie  45tb  parallel  South,  which  map  was 
published  iu  Eiiglaml  iu  1616.  The  title  rested  ou 
the  charter  of  1606,  which  was  publicly  read  at 
Sabiuo,  Aug.  29,  1607,  with  the  constitution  and 
code  of  laws  establishing  their  government.  I  might 
multiply  proof  on  this  head,  but  these  are  sufficient 
for  n^y  pur[)ose ;  not  to  undervalue  the  Plymouth 
settlement  of  1620,  but  to  show  that  the  English 
title  to  North  America  dates  back  to  Sabino. 

"In  the  New  England  charter  of  1620,  granted 
before  the  Plymoutli  settlement  on  the  Petition  of 
Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  it  is  stated,  that  he  ^had 
actual  possession  of  the  country,'  and  '  had  already 
settled  some  of  our  people  therein.''  In  the  letter  of 
Gov.  Bradford  to  Gorges,  dated  at  Plymouth  June 
9,  1628,  he  says,  'you  have  ever  been,  nor  only  a 
favorer,  but  a  most  special  beginner  and  f urtherer  of 
the  good  of  this  country,  to  your  great  cost,  and  no 
less  honor.'  In  the  commission  of  Sir  Ferdinando 
Gorges  as  Governor  of  New  England,  the  King  says, 
you  made  '^  the  first  discovery  of  these  coasts  and  the 
first  seizure  thereof^ " 

It  is  another  proof  of  Mr.  Poor's  deductive  habit 
of  mind,  and  also  of  the  correctness  of  liis  intuitions, 
that  these  documents,  procured  from  the  British 
State-Paper  Office,  fully  Justified  the  positions  which 
Mr.  Poor  assumed  in  his  Gorges'  address  as  early  as 
1859. 

It  ^va^  always  his  design  to  go  to  Europe,  and 
there  study  the  history  of  the  period  of  discovery 
and  colonization  of  New  England,  in  the  archives  of 
maritime  nations,  and  he  eagerly  looked  forward  to 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.        123 


the  time  when  he  could  devote  himself  to  his  histori- 
cal studies.  In  one  of  tlie  last  letters  written  by 
him,  in  1871,  he  says:  "I  am  too  much  engaged  in 
railroad  labors  to  give  much  attention  to  historical 
matters,  which  I  hope  will  be  the  solace  and  em- 
ployment of  my  later  days.  If  I  now  had  the 
leisure  I  would  devote  my  time  to  the  investigation 
of  American  history,  which  is  moi'e  the  history  of 
ideas  in  their  active  workings,  than  of  outward 
events."  Mr.  Henry  Stevens,  to  whom  this  letter 
was  written,  was  so  strong  a  friend  to  Maine  and  her 
documentary  history  that  the  following  notice  of 
him  should  be  preserved,  wiitten  by  the  London 
correspondent  of  the  New  Yorh  Trihune : 

"Henry  Stevens  came  to  London  in  1845,  and 
soon,  as  he  has  often  said,  'drifted'  into  the  British 
Museum.  He  retained  his  connection  there  as  agent 
for  the  buying  of  books  till  the  last ;  none  of  his 
financial  misfortunes  terminated  it.  Panizza,  who 
then  ruled  the  museum  in  a  sense  far  other  than 
that  in  which  Mr.  Bond  now  does,  was  his  staunch 
friend.  He  understood  Stevens'  value,  and  he  made 
use  of  his  services  in  a  way  for  which  an  American 
can  never  quite  forgive  either  of  the  pair.  IVIr.  Bond 
writes  tlie  notice  of  Stevens  in  the  Atlienwum,  and. 
says  with  a  touch  of  pardonable  exultation  that  as 
the  result  of  Stevens'  efforts  the  British  Museum 
now  contains  a  more  extensive  library  of  American 
books  than  any  single  library  in  the  United  States. 
No  doubt  it  does,  and  the  fact  is  a  reproach,  not  to 
Stevens,  but  to  Americans  in  general,  and  to  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  in  pai'ticular. 


f."'t  *'i 


I 


\l 


m 


m 
K 


134        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


"Ileniy  Stevenn,  an  AiiU'ricau  to  tlie  backbone, 
would  have  rejoiced  to  do  for  liis  own  country  what 
he  did  for  England.  But  England  employed  him  to 
do  it  and  Ameiica  did  not,  and  it  is  too  late  to  repair 
the  blunder.  No  collection  of  American  books  ec^ual 
to  tliat  in  the  British  Museum  can  ever  again  })e  got 
togetlier.  The  time  is  past.  Stevens'  catalogue  of 
this,  completed  in  1857,  is  a  volume  of  six  hundred 
octavo  pages,  and  includes  twenty  thousand  vol- 
umes. When  he  began  collecting  for  the  musemn, 
in  1845,  the  whole  number  di<l  not  exceed  four 
thousand  volumes.  The  other  sixteen  thousand  are 
due  to  liim.  One  of  his  reasons  for  printing  the 
catalogue  was  to  show,  side  by  side,  as  he  says,  both 
the  richness  and  the  poverty  of  the  collection.  He 
effected  his  object,  and  between  1857  and  1862  the 
number  doubled.  That  is  to  say,  in  1862  the  Ameri- 
can department  in  the  British  Museum  possessed 
foi'ty  thousand  volumes,  counting  only  books  printed 
in  America,  and  not  counting  books,  maps,  etc.,  in 
all  languai^es  relatini?  to  America,  in  which  the 
museum  is  very  rieli.  nor  counting  American  books 
reprinted  in  this  country. 

"  And  I  suppose  for  much  of  what  we  actually  have 
in  America  concerning  oui*  own  '  ountry  we  have  to 
thank  Henry  Stevens.  He  was  the  agent  of  many 
American  collectors,  often  with  authority  to  buy  on 
his  own  judgment.  His  best  known  general  client 
was  perhaps  Mr.  James  Lenox,  whose  library,  now 
one  of  the  chief  treasures  and  ornaments  of  New 
York,  was  formed  by  Henry  Stevens.  No  man 
knew  so  much  about  early  editions  of  the  Bible ;  no 


i'^.i 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR. 

one  pei'lmps  ho  inucli  about  'arly  voyaj^cH  /ind 
travels.  These,  with  the  Americana,  \V(!re  the  huI)- 
jectH  to  which  Stevens  devoted  hiiiisi^lf,  and  on  which 
he  will  ever  remain  an  authoiity.  Caxton  was  an- 
other topic  which  interested  him,  and  In^  did  nuich 
for  the  Caxton  Exhibition  at  South  Kensington  in 
1877,  cataloguing  the  Bibles  then  shown.  He  had  a 
wide  and  always  an  exact  knowledge,  not  merely  of 
books,  but  of  subjects.  Some  of  this  he  has  put  into 
print  or  read  before  literary  societies,  but  the  mass, 
of  it  dies  with  him.  He  is  a  real  loss  to  letters  as 
well  as  to  bibliography.  The  English  papers  abound 
in  eulogies  on  him.  I  hope  the  American  papers  do 
as  much,  for  he  was  a  man  who  held  high  abroad  the 
American  name.  *  Esteemed,'  says  the  I'lmes,  *  for 
his  knowledge,  ability,  and  shrewd  common-sense,  he 
was  even  more  beloved  for  his  frank  manliness,  hia 
kindly  nature,  and  rich,  genial  humor.'  The  tribute 
is  not  too  strong." 

Mr.  Poor  showed  his  usual  breadth  of  view  by  his 
strong  desire  to  popularize  historical  knowledge,  and 
his  labors  to  that  end.  As  early  as  1867  he  sug- 
gested that  a  course  of  lectures  upon  the  history  of 
Maine  should  be  delivered  by  competent  persons 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society. 
The  idea  was  adopted  and  carried  out  by  the  Massa- 
chusetts Historical  Society  ;  such  a  course  was  actu- 
ally delivered  in  Boston,  and  resulted  in  the  publica- 
tion of  a  large  volume  containing  the  lectures.  Mr. 
Poor  also  proposed  that  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of 
the  incorporation  and  oi'ganization  of  the  society 
should   be  celebrated.     It  was   to  occur  in  April, 


m 


\m 


r<  I, 


136        FIRST  IN  rr.RNA  TIONAl.  liAIl. ll'/l  V. 


'ti  ■; 


1H72;  Uw  \An\\  whh  cHjjjcrly  vvclcoiMcd  l»y  tliti  ho- 
ci<fty,  but  no  hucIi  ci^Ii^brjiticm  look  [>Ih<m<  jiCUm'  li'm 
(Icjilli.  During  tlio  luHi  two  inoiiiliH  «>f  Ii'ih  life  in 
1871,  tlilH  (IcHin^  to  exloiid  t\u)  knowhxigo  of  ilu? 
history  of  Mnimi  wjih  Htiil  more:  Htronj^ly  (\\pr<'HH(Ml. 
Although  th(i  jMvpunitioiiM  for  tho  iimmal  iiuuftiiig 
and  convention  of  lUo.  niilnuid  to  Owwcgo  <h:ninnd(>d 
inceHHunt  hil)or,  Mr.  Poor,  novcrtlich'HH,  fonnd  tinio 
to  write  an  chihonitj^  report.  Ah  cluiinnan  of  a  coni- 
niitteo  of  thi^  Hocicity  "for  incnvisiiig  tiie  Hociety'w 
usefuhieHs,"  ho  read  <his  report  before  tlieni  at  their 
annual  meeting,  July,  1S71.  It  urged  tiiat  all  limi- 
tations as  to  tho  num})er  of  memherH,  which  is  now 
confined  to  one  hundred,  should  he  n^moved  ;  and 
that  the  number  of  mend>ers  should  be  indefinitc^ly 
increased  ;  tliat  s[H'cial  meetings  should  be  calUid  as 
often  as  desirable  ;  that  a  public  oration  sliould  be 
delivered  annually.  With  this  effort  to  benefit  tlie 
many  rather  than  th(^  few,  closed  Mr.  Poor's  histori- 
cal labors. 

From  his  earliest  youth  Mr.  Poor  longed  to  be- 
come a  good  speaker  as  well  as  writer.  His  writings 
and  his  actions  have  been  described  ;  his  s})eech  must 
perish  with  him.  But  if  we  may  Judge  by  the  ef- 
fects it  produced,  tho  concessions  it  wrung  from 
unwilling  Legislatures,  it  must  have  been  with  power. 
He  spoke  with  extraordinary  I'apidity,  uttering  three 
time8  as  many  words  iu  one  minute  as  ordinary 
speakers,  and  Avith  much  animation.  His  victories 
were  won  by  appealing  to  the  highest  motives — to 
patriotism,  or  to  international  brotherhood,  and  by 
putting  subjects  on  their  broadest  foundation.    He 


rUE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.        127 

viiuiutt  ])(!  c.'iUjmI  h  loljfjyiwi,  liecmiM!  Ik;  Hpolv*;  only 
from  (H)nvic.tiori,  and  upon  liiHown  rnilwayH;  ulthongJi 
lie.  uH'.t  in  (l(rl)Hl,(!  hiudinf^  nwri  of  (/'armdji,  the  Lowor 
ProvinccH,  and  tlin  W(iHt ;  and  HjMjkj;  Ix^fonj  romniit- 
tccH  of  tin;  L<'giHlat;ure  in  Maine,  MuHHacliuwiftH,  N<!W 
llanipsliirc,  Vcnuorit;  of  tli(;  PaiTiarrunii  of  Canada, 
of  tlio  Con<j^r(!HH  of  the  (Jniled  Stat(;H;and  tlu;  Ili.s- 
torical  S()(ti(iti(jH  of  Maine,  N(!W  IlainpHhin!,  Ver- 
mont, and  N(!\v  York. 

He  Icift  behind  him  a  mass  of  JetterH,  many  of 
them  from  promirufnt  men  in  the  lJnite<l  Sfaten  and 
tlu!  Dominion  of  Canmla.  A  v(!ry  influcintial  man 
of  BoMton,  at  the  eloHe  of  a  lonij  l(!tt(;r,  wrotr;  to  liim 
as  folIovvH  :  "  I  hav(!  reml  with  gn^at  int(*r(;Ht  and  in- 
Ktruetion  your  arginru^nt  Ijefore  the  Committee  of 
th(5  Mainci  Legislature  upon  *  ReHtrieti(mH  on  Railway 
Transit.'  Apart  from  the  Him[)le  purpose  of  tin; 
argument  in  that  case,  vv}ii(!h  is  so  ably  and  adroitly 
put,  the  com[)rehensive  and  j)hiloHO[)hieal  views  of 
the  ca[)abilitieH^  resources,  and  growtli  of  the  New 
England  States,  and  the  statistics  bearing  uj)on  the 
relative  advantages  of  different  localities,  are  most 
valuable.  ...  I  only  wish  we  liad  in  Boston 
some  gentleman  of  your  intelligence,  ex[)erience,  tact, 
and  energy,  who  would  devote  himself  to  the  inter- 
ests of  tlie  city  and  state  as  you  do  to  like  interests 
in  Maine.  With  the  amount  of  business  aim  ^.apital 
here  to  back  up  liis  efforts,  I  think  he  might  do  two 
things :  make  this  one  of  the  greatest  cities  on  the 
continent ;  and  make  for  liiraself  r.  fortune  while  liv- 
ing, and  secure  a  statue  among  its  benefactors  after 
he  is  gone." 


I    i    ■  ■   .,  iii 


T  28       F/JiST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IV A  Y. 


'\V 


But  Mr.  Poor  duul  a  poor  man,  and  Maine  lias 
erected  no  statue  to  lier  benefactor.  AVlien  lie  was 
once  reproached  that  he  did  not  make  money  his  lirst 
object,  he  answered  :  "  I  thought  if  the  work  were 
good  the  money  woidd  come." 

It  is  not  too  strong  to  say  that  he  liad  a  contempt 
for  oftice.  His  political,  being  as  keen  jis  his  other 
instincts,  he  was  the  first  man  in  Maine  to  support 
General  Taylor  for  the  Presidency  in  1848,  and  the 
ofiice  of  Postmaster  of  Portland  was  within  his 
reach.  The  followiniij  letter  was  written  in  Novem- 
ber,  1848:  "I  thank  you  for  the  frank  manner 
in  which  you  have  expressed  yourself.  I  have 
very  little  ambition  for  any  place  myself ;  and  if 
I  could  be  gratified  by  any  thing,  it  would  be  to 
be  in  a  position  of  greater  independence,  where  I 
could  pursue  with  greater  zeal  certain  ideas  which 
have  occupied  my  thoughts  for  some  years."  lie 
declined  the  ofiice  of  Oonsul-General  to  Canada  in 
1801,  and  an  important  i>osition  in  the  Treasury 
Department  at  AVashington  in  186.'^ ;  and  the  only 
offices  he  ever  held  were  those  created  expressly  for 
him,  which  lapsed  when  he  gave  them  up.  He  also 
refused  w  hat  was  to  him  a  greater  temptation — a 
share  in  I'ailway  enterprises  in  the  West. 

Mr.  Poor  married  in  1860  Mrs.  Margaret  Gwynne, 
of  Cincinnati,  daughter  of  Mr.  William  Bar* ,  a  pio- 
neer, and  a  man  of  great  force  of  character.  Mi's. 
Poor,  who  had  a  fortune,  would  have  been  glad  that 
Viv.  Poor  should  live  in  Cincinnati,  or  at  least  that 
he  should  spend  his  time  in  Europe.  But  neither 
ease  nor  pleasure  could  draw  him  from  his  work,  and 


-a 


THE  LIFE  OF  JO  JIN  ALFRED  POOR.        129 


d 


]\Irs.  VooY  clicerfully  m'coiniiKulatt'd  herself  to  his 
]ihiiiM.  Ill  the  success  of  tluit  work  he  found  liis 
li;il)[)iiiess  ;  and  in  Hj)ite  of  a  sensitive  and  niehui- 
choly  teiii|)enunent,  lie  was  an  exceptionally  happy 
man, — ha|)|)y  also  in  his  domestic  life,  and  in  the 
scenery  mikI  climate  of  Maine,  lie  declared  that  the 
daily  sight  of  the  White  Mountains  was  a"  perj)etiial 
inspiration  "  to  him.  Hut  had  it  been  otherwise,  he 
wouM  still  have  been  cheerful,  for  he  considered 
cheerfulness  in  and  for  itself,  to  be  an  absolute  duty. 

It  was  sometimes  a  regret  to  him  that  he  did  not 
live  among  libraries,  {)ictures,  operas,  noble  ])uild- 
ings,  for  he  keenly  loved  all  these,  understood  and 
appreciated  them,  lie  enjoyed  large,  high  I'ooms, 
and  l)oautiful,  becoming  <lress  for  women  ;  and  not 
through  ostentation,  but  pure  love  of  beauty  in  every 
form.  But  a  man  who  is  trying  to  help  his  fellow- 
men  by  great  industrial  undertakings  that  bring 
prosperity  to  thousands,  can  be  happy  without  the 
embroideries  of  life. 

Mr.  Poor  was  a  man  of  splendid  beauty,  six  feet 
two  inches  in  height,  weighing  at  last  two  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds  ;  of  noble  and  commanding  pres- 
ence, with  clear-cut  Grecian  features,  and  a  sensitive 
yet  resolute  iiiouth;  Horace  Greeh^y  said  that  he 
had  a  mouth  like  Henry  Clay's.  In  the  winter  of 
1849,  when  j\lr.  Poor  was  forty-one  years  of  age,  he 
was  living  at  the  Astor  House,  New  York.  AVhile 
standing  one  day  in  the  office,  he  saw  that  he  was 
closely  watclied  by  a  man,  wh>  walked  around  him 
several  times,  and  finally  spoke  to  him  thus :  "  I 
beg  your  pardon,  sir,  but  have  you  ever  been  in  the 


l< 


1 30        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  \VA  Y. 

ring  ?  "  "  Never,"  said  Mr.  Poor.  "  Then  you  Hhoiild 
go  in  at  once  ;  with  such  a  figure  you  would  make 
your  fortune."  The  man  proved  to  be  the  most 
celebrated  prize-fighter  of  the  day. 

His  genial  mannei*,  his  hearty  laugh,  his  suggestive 
talk,  made  him  fascinating  in  society ;  one  of  the 
Canadian  public  men  said  :  "We  really  loved  Mr. 
Poor";  his  playfulness  and  tenderness  made  him 
passionately  beloved  at  home. 

His  anger  was  terrible ;  yet  it  would  be  a  great 
mistake  to  sujk  ose  that  Mr.  Poor  was  naturally 
belligerent.  His  opinions  were  so  advanced  and 
original,  his  nature  so  eaniest,  that  he  could  not  fail 
to  differ ;  yet  it  is  strictly  true  to  say  that  he  never 
attacked  others  until  they  attacked  him ;  but  when 
stung  to  anger  by  misrepresentations,  t'^eachery,  or 
ingratitude,  his  blows  fell  fast  and  hard.  One  of 
his  contemporaries  wrote :  "  His  services  to  his 
native  state  we  are  confident  will  be  recognized  and 
honored.  AVe  desire  now  only  to  add  our  tribute  to 
his  character  as  a  man  and  a  fnend ;  to  record  our 
admiration  of  his  large-heartedness,  his  generous  im- 
pulses, his  ready  recognition  and  encouragement  of 
the  merit  of  other's,  his  freedom  from  all  narrowness, 
his  genial  social  qualities,  his  exhaustle^ss  fund  of 
information  ever  at  the  service  of  his  friends." 

The  growth  of  Mr.  Poor's  mind  can  best  be  traced 
from  the  books  he  bouglit  and  read.  They  were  in 
early  life,  books  oi  poetiy  and  theology.  Isaac  Tay- 
lor, author  of  the  "  Natural  History  of  Enthusiasm," 
Coleridge,  and  Robert  Hall  were  then  his  favorite 
authors,  read  and  re-read.     Indeed,  it  was  owing  to 


TIf£  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.       131 

a  letter  from  him  to  a  publisher  tliat  the  works 
of  Robert  Hall  were  collected  and  published  in  this 
countiy  ;  Mr.  Poor  having  met  tliem  in  a  small  Eng- 
lish book  of  his  selections.  His  love  of  poetry  he 
retained  to  the  very  last  of  his  life,  and  the  evening 
but  one  before  his  death,  he  read  through  his  favor- 
ite poem,  "  Comus."  He  was  very  fond  of  Byron's 
letters,  but  not  of  his  poetry  ;  he  extravagantly  loved 
Webster's  speeches  and  Gray's  "  Ode  on  the  Progress 
of  Poesy " ;  he  cared  very  much  for  beautiful  style 
in  music  also, — Weber's  were  his  favorite  operas.  In 
the  last  few  years  of  his  life  he  would  read  and 
re-read  Gerald  Griffin's  poem,  "  The  Sister  of  Char- 
ity," and  Robertson's  sermon  upon  the  Queen 
Dowager  Adelaide, — "  The  stranger  not  born  in  the 
laud,  but  who  came  in  to  do  good  to  it." 

When  Cosmos  appeared,  Mr.  Poor  studied  with 
eagerness  its  successive  volumes;  he  then  rea<l 
Lyell's  books  on  Geology  ;  for  the  last  years  of  his 
life,  early  American  history  absorbed  him  more  and 
more.  The  study  of  Humboldt  and  Lyell  undoubt- 
edly educated  that  instinctive  eye  for  the  topo- 
graphical features  of  a  country,  which  he  seemed  to 
possess.  When  the  survey  was  suggested  for  the 
railway  from  Glenn's  Falls  to  Oswego,  New  Y<»rk, 
people  talked  of  the  impenetrable  wilderness  of 
Northern  New  York.  No  instrument  luid  ever  Ijeen 
put  upon  Pisceo  Lake,  but  Mr.  Poor  knew  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  land,  the  grade  to  the  mile,  the  height  of 
the  mountains,  and  persuaded  the  people  to  make  the 
survey.  A  most  favorable  route  for  a  railway  was 
found,  unexpectedly  to  them,  but  not  to  Mr.  Pool*. 


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132       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


The  height  of  the  mountains  was  even  less  than  he 
had  predicted,  the  grade  to  the  mile  being  thirty-five 
feet,  where  he  had  foretold  forty  feet. 

It  was  said  of  Mr.  Poor  that  he  assimilated 
and  digested  into  one  harmonious  Avhole,  ready  for 
use,  every  fact  which  he  took  into  his  mind.  Yet  he 
used  these  facts  to  justify  himself  in  the  conclusions 
at  which  he  had  already  arrived,  rather  than  to  aid 
him  in  forming  these  conclusions,  his  habit  of  mind 
being  eminently  deductive,  and  his  predictions 
Justified  by  "fter  discoveries ;  and  this  is  still  more 
clearly  shuwii  in  his  historical  writings.  Indeed,  he 
was  bv  mature  an  idealist;  in  his  childhood  he 
dreamed  Dj.  jh,  and  walked  in  his  sleep;  in  later 
years  he  would  go  to  bed  with  all  the  pei-plexities 
of  his  business  complications  unsettled,  and  in  the 
morning  he  would  awaken  with  a  definite  plan  of 
action  formed,  he  knew  not  how, — a  power  uncom- 
mon and  peculiar  to  some  minds,  but  which  Leibnitz 
recognizes  when  he  says :  "  There  are  mental  processes 
of  which  we  are  unconscious  at  the  time,  but  which 
we  recognize  as  having  taken  place,  by  finding 
certain  results  in  our  mind." 

It  must  not  be  thought,  however,  that  Mr.  Poor 
spared  himself  the  labor  of  study.  He  left  behind 
him  carefully  prepared  memoranda  on  all  subjects 
which  interested  him, — memoranda  historical,  com- 
mercial, statistical.  These  were  put  into  envelopes, 
which  were  marked  on  the  outside,  and  aiTanged  at 
his  right  hand,  ready  for  use.  Yet  Mr.  Poor  was 
not  in  the  least  dependent  upon  a  certain  place,  or 
certain  surroundings,  for  ability  to  express  himself  in 


3S, 


TI/£:  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.        133 

writing.  Such  was  liis  power  of  concentration  tliat 
no  conversation  in  tlie  room  interrupted  him.  PHh 
memoir  of  Mr.  Williams  was  written  at  his  room  in 
the  hotel  at  Washington,  in  the  intervals  of  business, 
and  even  his  address  at  Fort  Popham  in  precisely 
the  same  way,  while  subjected  to  a  thousand  inter- 
rujitions.  He  never  wrote  with  such  ease  to  himself 
as  during  the  last  four  years  of  his  life,  which  were 
peculiarly  busy  ones,  yet  every  thing  was  dictated. 

No  memoir  is  complete  until  we  have  gone  behind 
its  facts  to  seek  what  was  their  real  inspiration,  and 
what  should  be,  therefore,  their  true  interpretation. 
We  have  seen  that  books  of  theology  interested  Mr. 
Poor  deeply.  While  a  student  of  law  in  Bangor,  he 
wished  to  become  a  member  of  the  Trinitarian  Con- 
gregational Church,  but  was  withheld  solely  by 
doubts  upon  their  points  of  belief,  as  defined  in 
their  own  creed  and  formularies.  Although  holding 
oj)inions  of  his  own  which  were  Congregational  as  to 
church  government,  and  Unitaiian  as  to  doctrine,  he 
attended  the  services  of  the  Presbyterian  or  Episco- 
pal church  with  his  wife  or  daughter.  He  had, 
however,  a  rich  and  full  personal  communion  with 
God,  and  on  one  occasion  he  said,  with  the  simplicity 
and  force  which  can  only  come  from  experience : 
"You  can  never  be  happy  until  you  give  up  your 
own  will  wholly.  It  is  so  simple.  Then  you  will  be 
perfectly  satisfied  and  i\k  peace."  And  in  this  spirit 
of  absolute  self-surrender  to  the  divine  will,  he  took 
up  and  carried  to  the  end  the  peculiar  work  to 
which  God  had   called  him. 

That  the  work  opened  gradually  before  him,  and 


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134       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


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led  him  on  from  step  to  step,  he  hardly  knew  how, 
is  evident  from  expressions  of  his  own  at  different 
periods  of  his  life.  The  following,  which  were  found 
in  his  private  journal  after  his  death,  had  never  been 
seen  before. 

In  1860  he  wrote  :  "The  great  purpose  of  my  life 
is  in  a  great  measure  accomplished.  In  sixteen 
years  Maine  has  been  raised  greatly  in  commercial 
importance,  and  in  the  next  sixteen  years  will  take 
relatively  a  much  higher  position  than  now,  though 
the  growth  of  every  thing  in  Maine  is  slow.  What 
toils,  what  anxieties  have  I  not  suffered  these  sixteen 
years  ! " 

In  the  year  of  his  death,  he  wrote  :  "  Portland, 
January  8, 1871.  This  is  my  sixty-third  birthday.  I 
have  always  looked  forward  to  this  day  with  a  sin- 
gular feeling  of  hope  and  dread,  for  I  am  sure  that  it 
is  a  turning-point  in  my  life.  A  man  of  robust 
frame,  with  freedom  from  dissipation,  reaches  his 
maturity,  or  manhood,  at  forty-nine ;  and  culminates, 
as  a  physical  being,  at  sixty -three.  So  I  have  been 
taught  by  philosophers  and  naturalists.  From  this 
day  forward,  I  run  on  in  my  career  on  the  descend- 
ing grade,  or  the  downhill  of  life.  ...  I  am  quite 
ready  to  take  my  leave  of  worldly  objects,  or,  in 
other  words,  to  give  up  my  life,  whenever  it  may 
please  the  Father  of  mercies  to  take  it,  but  I  intend 
to  work  with  more  diligence  and  labor  with  more 
system  than  ever,  in  the  vocation  to  which  I  have 
been  called.  No  one  can  conceive  of  the  self-denial, 
the  labor,  and  the  waste  of  strength  to  which  I  have 
been  subjected.    ...   I  have  had  an  unquenchable 


THE  LIFE  OF  JOHN  ALFRED  POOR.        135 

desire  for  knowledge  in  certain  departments  of 
human  thought,  and  an  ambition  for  glory  and  fame 
/IS  a  friend  of  my  race.  I  honor  the  men  who  have 
acquired  success  in  the  useful  arts,  as  the  great  bene- 
factoi*s  of  their  age.  I  have  honored  Watt,  Ark- 
wright,  Stephenson,  Fulton,  and  Whitney  more  than 
any  of  the  heroes  of  war ;  and  I  had  a  desire  from 
my  first  recollection  to  do  something  in  this  line.  I 
resorted  to  the  profession  of  the  law,  as  a  means  of 
livelihood,  and  of  honorable  renown,  but  before  I 
had  been  ten  years  in  the  profession,  I  had  enjoyed 
all  in  it  that  I  was  capable  of,  and  my  career  since 
in  influencing  the  History,  the  Geography,  and  the 
Physical  Resources  of  Maine  has  brought  me  an 
exceeding  great  reward — for  I  have  enjoyed  it. 

"  I  thought  the  projecting  and  carrying  out  of  the 
railway  to  Montreal  from  1844  to  1853  was  enough 
for  any  one  man,  and  yet  I  had  to  carry  forward  the 
line  of  the  European  and  North  American  Railway, 
and  have  yet  to  finish  the  Transcontinental  line, — or 
the  section  from  Portland  to  Chicago." 

Such  are  the  men  who  sink  broad  and  deep  the 
foundations  of  the  Republic. 


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LIST  OF  PUBLISHED  WRITINGS. 


No.  1.  Memorial  to  the  Legislature  of  Maine  asking  for  the 
opening  of  direct  communication  between  the  principal  towns 
of  Maine  and  the  St.  Lawrence  River.     January,  1844. 

No.  2.  Project  of  a  railway  from  Montreal  to  the  Atlantic 
coast  at  Portland,  Maine.  Sherbrooke  Gazette,  September  5, 
1844. 

No.  3.  Plan  for  a  line  of  railway  from  Portland  to  Montreal, 
through  the  northern  extremities  of  New  Hampshire  and  Ver- 
mont.    Portland  Advertiser,  ?)Q^tQmhQX  17,  1844. 

No.  4.  Railroad  to  Montreal.  Portland  Argus,  September 
25,  1844. 

No.  5.  Railroad  from  Portland  to  Montreal.  Portland 
Bullrin,  September  25,  1844. 

No.  6.  Extracts  from  the  Report  of  the  Directors  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  and  Atlantic  Railway  Company  advising  a  line  of 
railway  from  Lewiston,  Maine,  to  Bangor,  and  St.  John,  New 
Brunswick,  in  connection  with  the  line  from  Portland  to  Mon- 
treal ;  written  by  John  A.  Poor,  and  adopted  by  the  Directors 
in  Montreal.     January  19,  1847. 

No.  7.  Montreal  and  St.  John  Railroad.  Bangor  Whig, 
November  23,  1847. 

No.  8.  Extracts  from  Report  of  Directors  of  St.  Lawrence 
and  Atlantic  Railroad  Company  in  favor  of  a  line  to  the  east 
from  Danville  Junction  to  Bangor,  and  St.  John,  New  Bruns- 
wick ;  written  by  John  A.  Poor.     January  19,  1848. 

No.  9.  Portland  and  Montreal  Railroad.  Portland  Argus, 
February  7,  1848. 

No.  10.  Portland  and  Montreal  Railroad.  Portland  Argus, 
February  16,  1848. 

136 


:b 


LIST  OF  PUBLISHED  WRITINGS. 


m 


No.  II.  Railroads  in  Maine.  New  York  Railroad  yoitrnaly 
November  i8,  1848. 

No.  12.  Railway  Economy;  cost  of  running  at  high  speed. 
New  York  Railroad  J^ournal,  April  20,  1850. 

No.  13.  Plan  for  Shortening  the  Time  of  Passage  be- 
tween New  York  \nd  London,  with  map  :  petition  to  the 
Legislature  of  Maine  in  aid  of  the  European  and  North 
American  Railway.     Octavo,  pp.  24.     1850, 

No.  14.  Proceedings  of  Portland  Convention,  etc.,  European 
and  North  American  Railway.     Octavo,  pp.  156.     1850. 

No.  15.  Prospectus  of  the  European  and  North  American 
Railway  Company.     Octavo,  pp.  32.     185 1, 

No.  16.  Petition  to  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  for  aid  to 
European  and  North  American  Railway.     Octavo,  pp.  8.    185 1. 

No.  17.  Remarks  of  John  A.  Poor  upon  the  European  and 
North  American  Railway  at  the  City  Hall,  Portland,  at  a  gen- 
eral meeting  July  22,  185 1,  in  opposition  to  Hon.  Joseph 
Howe,  of  Nova  Scotia.     Octavo,  pp.  8.     1851. 

No.  18.  Memorial  to  Thirty-first  Legislature  of  Maiiu  in 
relation  to  the  European  and  North  American  Railway  for 
shortening  the  transit  of  mails  between  New  York  and  Lon- 
don.    Octavo,  pp.  16.     1852. 

No.  19.  Memorial  to  Congress  of  the  United  States  for  aid 
to  the  European  and  North  American  Railway.  Octavo,  pp. 
16.     January  20,  1852. 

No.  20.  Proceedings  of  Legislature  of  Massachiiset^^s  on 
petition  in  aid  of  the  European  and  North  American  Railway. 
Octavo,  pp.  8.     1852. 

No.  21.  Report  of  Directors  of  the  York  and  Cumberland 
Railway  Company.     Octavo,  pp.  8.     1852. 

No.  22.  Railroad  Convention  to  unite  the  various  railroad 
interests  in  Maine  to  better  aid  the  building  of  the  European 
and  North  American  Railway.  Octavo,  pp.  16.  October  i^, 
1852. 

No.  23.  Documents  in  relation  to  the  disposition  of  the 
public  lands  of  Maine.     Octavo,  pp.  30.     1853. 

No.  24.  Memorial  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Euro- 
pean and  North  American  Railway  Company  to  the  Legisla- 


m. 


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I 


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138       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

ture  of  Maine,  for  amendment  of  its  charter  and  for  state  aid  ; 
containing  an  historical  ijketch  of  the  state,  and  suggesting 
immigration.     Octavo,  pp.  24.     1853, 

No.  25.  Plan  for  building  the  European  and  North  American 
Railway  in  Maine.     Octavo,  pp.  4.     1853. 

No.  26.  Memorial  to  the  Thirty-third  Legislature  of  Maine  : 
a  petition  of  the  President  and  Directors  of  the  European  and 
North  American  Railway  Company.     Octavo,  pp.  8.     1854. 

No.  27.  The  Paris  Exhibition.     Octavo,  pp.  8.     1854. 

No.  28.  Petition  to  the  Parliament  of  Canada  praying  for  a 
charter  for  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  Company,  Quebec. 
Octavo,  pp.  8.  Lovell  &  Lamoureux  :  reprinted  by  Ira  Berry, 
Portland.     1854. 

No.  29.  Commercial  importance  of  Portland,  with  map. 
Octavo,  pp.  50.     1855. 

No.  30.  Memorial  to  the  Legislature  of  Maine  concerning 
the  public  lands  of  Maine,  for  a  State  Policv,  and  for  meas- 
ures to  promote  the  settlement  and  sale  of  the  public  lands, 
and  to  encourage  manufactures.     Octavo,  pp.  12.     1857, 

No.  31.  Memorial  to  the  Legislature  of  Maine  of  the  Maine 
State  Agricultural  Society,  for  the  adoption  of  measures  to 
promote  the  settlement  and  sale  of  the  public  lands  of  Maine, 
and  to  encourage  immigration  and  manufactures.  Octavo, 
pp.  26.     1S58. 

No.  32.  Memorial  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States 
of  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Portland,  Maine,  for  the  extension 
of  the  Reciprocity  Treaty.     Senate  Doc,  pp.  4.     1859. 

No.  33.  A  Vindication  of  the  Claims  of  Sir  Ferdinando 
Gorges,  as  the  Father  of  English  Colonization  in 
America,  with  map  and  documents.     Octavo,  pp.  144.     1859. 

No.  34.  Report  to  the  Legislature  of  Maine,  of  minority  of 
Committee  on  Railways,  in  favor  of  a  trunk  line  of  railway 
acroL..  the  state;  and  the  granting  of  the  public  lands  of 
Maine  to  aid  its  construction  from  Bangor  to  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  state.     Octavo,  pp.  22.     i860. 

No.  35.  Memorial  to  the  Legislature  of  Maine  in  aid  of  the 
European  and  North  American  Railway  Company  and  for  a 
State  Policy  favorable  to  immigration  and  the  encouragement 


LIST  OF  PUBLISHED  WRITINGS. 


139 


of  manufactures  ;  containing  a  geological  and  historical  sketch 
of  the  state  of  Maine.     Octavo,  pp.  52.     1861. 

No.  36.  Report  to  the  Legislature  of  Maine  of  Commission- 
ers on  the  Coast  Defences  of  Maine,  and  documents  relating 
thereto,  in  favor  of  building  the  European  and  North  American 
Railway  as  a  military  railroad.     Octavo,  pp.  16.     1862. 

No.  37.  Letter  to  Hon.  E.  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of  War, 
proposing  to  build  the  European  and  North  American  Railway 
as  a  military  railroad.     Octavo,  pp.  26.     1862. 

No.  38.  The  National  Finances  :  Letter  to  Congress  with 
statistics.     Octavo,  pp.  8.     1862. 

No.  39.  Documentary  History  of  Maine  :  Memorial  to 
the  Legislature  of  Maine  for  procuring  papers  from  the  British 
State-Paper  Office  in  regard  to  the  early  history  of  Maine. 
Octavo,  pp.  4-     1862. 

No.  40.  The  First  Colonization  of  New  England  :  An 
address  delivered  at  the  erection  of  a  monumental  stone  in  the 
walls  of  Fort  Popham,  August  29,  1862,  com'  icmorative  of  the 
phnting  of  the  Popham  Colony  on  the  peninsula  of  Sabino, 
August  19,  1607,  with  documents.     Octavo,  pp.  58.     1862. 

No.  41.  Proceedings  of  the  Legislature  of  Maine,  in  favor 
of  procuring  documents  from  the  British  State-Paper  Office,  as 
to  the  early  history  of  Maine.     Octavo,  pp.  4.     1863. 

No.  42.  Report  to  the  Legislature  of  Maine  on  the  Coast 
Defences,  with  documents,  in  favor  of  building  the  European 
and  Noich  American  Railway  as  a  military  railroad.  Octavo, 
pp.  32.     1863. 

No.  43.  Memoir  of  Mrs.  Mary  Barr.     Octavo,  pp.  10. 

No.  44.  Memoir  of  Hon.  Reuel  Williams.  Octavo,  pp.  66. 
1863. 

No.  45.  The  Futur»:  of  North  America  :  A  letter  to  the 
Chicago  Ship-Canal  Convention  suggesting  a  Zoll-verein 
WITH  Canada.     Octavo,  pp.  4.     1863. 

No.  46.  Memorial  to  the  Legislature  of  Maine  asking  aid  to 
the  European  and  North  American  Railway  by  a  grant  of  the 
public  lands  lying  on  the  Penobscot  and  St.  John  waters  ;  and 
of  the  claims  of  Maine  against  the  U.  S.  Government  held 
jointly  with  Massachusetts.     Octavo,  pp.  4.     1864. 


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1 40       FIRS T  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

No.  47.  Report  to  the  Legislature  of  Maine,  of  the  Joint 
Standing  Committee  on  Frontier  and  Coast  Defences,  with 
bills  and  resolves  in  aid  of  European  and  North  American 
Railway.     Octavo,  pp.  24.     1864. 

No.  48.  Resolutions  of  the  Legislature  of  Maine,  in  relation 
to  the  defences  of  the  northern  frontier  of  the  state.  Octavo, 
pp.  4.     1864. 

No.  49.  Report  of  Special  Committee  of  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives at  Washington  on  Northeastern  Defences,  with 
documents  :  in  favor  of  building  the  European  and  North 
American  Railway  as  a  compensation  to  Maine  for  her  terri- 
tory sacrificed  iu  running  the  line  of  the  Northeastern 
Boundary.     Octavo,  pp.  82.     1864. 

No.  50.  Prospectus  of  the  European  and  North  American 
Railway.     Octavo,  pp.  68.     1864. 

No.  51.  Memorial  to  the  Legibiature  of  Massachusetts  ask- 
ing an  assignment  of  its  claims  against  the  United  States  held 
jointly  with  Maine  ;  a  discharge  of  the  debt  due  from  Maine 
on  account  of  the  purchase  of  the  public  lands,  and  a  loan  of 
state  credit.     Octavo,  pp.  4.     1865. 

No.  52.  Memorial  to  the  Governor  of  Massachusetts  asking 
an  exchange  of  State  of  Maine  bonds  :  statement  of  facts.   1865. 

No.  53.  "No  Restrictions  on  Railway  Transit"  :  Ar- 
gument of  John  A.  Poor  before  the  Joint  Standing  Committee 
on  Railroads,  Ways,  and  Bridges,  for  authority  to  extend  a  broad- 
gauge  track  on  the  railway  from  Portland  to  Boston  :  delivered 
in  the  Senate-chamber  of  Maine,  with  documents.  Octavo, 
pp.  75.     1865. 

No.  54.  Memorial  of  the  European  and  North  American 
Railway  Company  of  Maine  to  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
praying  aid  in  constructing  a  military  road  from  Bangor  to  the 
St.  John  River,  with  map  and  documents.  Octavo,  pp.  38. 
1865. 

No  55.  Memorial  of  the  European  and  North  American 
Railway  to  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  for  State  aid,  with 
documents.     Octavo,  pp.  42.     1866. 

No.  56.  Report  and  Resolves  in  relation  to  the  Confedera- 
tion of  the  British  North  American  Provinces,  Maine  Legisla- 


LIST  OF  PUBLISHED  WRITINGS. 


141 


ture.  Senate  Doc.  No.  87,  pp.  8.  Adopted  by  the  Legislature. 
1S67. 

No.  57.  The  Railway  :  Remarks  at  Belfast,  Maine.  Oc- 
tavo, pp.  62.     1867. 

No.  58.  Report  of  the  Commissioners  of  the  Hydrographic 
Survey.     Octavo,  pj.   30.     1867. 

No.  59.  Across  the  Continent  :  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Rail- 
way ;  Portland  and  Rutland  Railroad.  Official  record  of  the 
corporators.     Octavo,  pp.  59.     1868. 

No.  60.  Proceedings  of  the  International  Commercial  Con- 
vention held  in  Portland,  Maine,  August  4,  5,  and  6.  Octavo, 
pp.  160.     1868. 

No.  6r.  Prospectus  Portland  and  Rutland  Railway.  Octavo, 
pp.  4,     1868. 

No.  62.  Report  for  the  Social  Science  Society  of  general 
statistics  in  regard  to  Maine.     Octavo,  pp.  8.     1869. 

No.  d-i,.  The  Transcontinental  Railway  :  Remarks  at 
Rutland,  Vermont,  June  24.     Octavo,  pp.  78.     1869. 

No.  64.  Remarks  at  Waterville,  Maine,  at  a  special  meeting 
of  the  stockholders  of  the  Maine  Central  Railway  Company. 
May  31.     Octavo,  pp.  50.     1870. 

No.  66.  Memorial  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  for 
aid  to  the  Portland,  Rutland,  Oswego,  and  Chicago  Railway  ; 
with  A  Bill  to  secure  cheap  transportation  of  breadstuffs  and 
provisions  from  the  West  to  the  seaboard,  at  uniform  rates 
throughout  the  year,  accompanying  the  same,  January  19, 187 1. 

No.  66.  First  Annual  Report  of  the  Directors  of  the  Port- 
land, Rutland,  Oswego,  and  Chicago  Railway  Company.  July 
26.    Octavo,  pp.  58.     187 1. 


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FIRST  ARTICLE    ON    THE    ST.   LAWRENCE 
AND  ATLANTIC   RAILWAY. 

FOR   THE   SHERBROOKE   GAZETTE. 

The  recent  movements,  having  in  view  the  exten- 
sion of  a  railroad  from  Montreal  to  the  Atlantic 
coast,  have  attracted  the  attention  of  the  business 
community  throughout  the  Canadas  and  the  Northern 
States  of  the  Federal  Union.  That  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  object  desired  will  be  eventually  realized 
there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt,  but  as  to  the 
mode  and  manner,  the  time  when,  and  the  place 
where,  there  is  still  much  room  for  discussion. 
Having  recently  traversed  much  of  the  territory  in 
the  neighborhood,  and  made  myself  acquainted  with 
the  proposed  routes  and  the  plans  entertained  by  the 
respective  friends  of  each,  I  felt  inclined  to  state 
some  facts,  and  make  some  suggestions  that  might 
perhaps  be  of  interest  to  this  portion  of  the  country. 

The  great  object  in  view  is  a  railroad  from  Mon- 
treal to  Boston.  Two  or  three  routes  are  proposed, 
but  if  we  take  into  view  the  natural  advantage  of 
the  country,  the  coui*se  of  trade,  and  the  circum- 
stances favoring  its  accomplishment,  the  chances  and 
the  arguments  are  vastly  in  favor  of  the  route  by  the 
way  of  Sherbrooke.     Its  central  position  as  to  Mon- 

143 


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THE  ST.  LA  WRENCE  b*  A  TLANTIC  RAIL  WA  Y.  143 

treal  and  Quebec  ;  its  lying,  too,  directly  in  the  line 
of  the  most  easy  and  practicable  route  from  bol:b 
those  cities  to  the  Atlantic  coast,  or  to  any  good 
port  thereon,  will,  if  the  matter  is  understood,  settle 
the  point  in  favor  of  the  Sherbrooke  route. 

There  has  been  so  little  intercourse  with  Maine 
heretofore,  that  the  people  of  this  region  are  very 
generally  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  Portland  in 
Maine,  with  one  of  the  best,  if  not  the  very  best, 
harbor  of  the  United  States,  is  one  hundred  miles 
nearer  to  Montreal  than  Boston  ;  and  taking  into 
view  the  facilities  for  a  railroad,  there  cannot  be 
a  doubt  that  the  best  way  of  reaching  Boston  from 
Montreal  is  by  the  way  of  Portland. 

The  route  most  talked  of  here  is  by  the  way 
of  Concord,  New  Hampshire.  The  distances  are  as 
follows,  viz. : 

Montreal  to  Sherbrooke 91  miles 

Sherbrooke  to  Stanstead   34  miles 

Stanstead  to  Haverhill 80  miles 

Haverhill  to  Concord 70  miles 

275  miles 
Railroad,  Concord  to  Boston 76  miles 

Total 351  miles 

The  distances  by  way  of  Portland  are  as  follows, 
viz. : 

Montreal  to  Sherbrooke 91  miles 

Sherbrooke  to  Canaan,  Vermont 31  miles 

Canaan  to  Colebrooke,  New  Hampshire 10  miles 

Colebrooke  to  Letter  B,  Maine 30  miles 

Andover  to  Portland 70  miles 

246  miles 


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144       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

Railroad,  Portland  to  Boston 105  miles 

Total 35 1  miles 

The  distance  to  make  by  Concord  is 275  miles 

The  distance  by  Portland 246  milts 

making  an  advantage  of  twenty-uine  miles  in  favor 
of  the  Portland  route. 

If  tlie  railroad  ran  from  Montreal  to  Portland,  the 
British  mail  steamers  might  land  at  that  place,  which 
has  a  far  better  winter  harbor  than  Boston,  and  is 
about  half  a  day's  sail  short  of  Boston. 

Boston  has  a  vast  amount  of  capital,  and  would  at 
once  construct  a  railroad  to  Montreal,  if  her  business 
could  be  thereby  proportionally  increased.  But  it  is 
the  opinion  of  many  men  there  that  Montreal  would 
gain  more  by  the  railroad  than  their  city. 

The  people  of  Maine  have,  if  possible,  less  informa- 
tion in  regard  to  the  business  and  importance  of  the 
Canadas  than  your  people  have  of  her  resources. 
The  intercourse  between  the  two  countries  has  been 
trifling.  But  now  the  settlements,  having  been 
pushed  back  toward  each  other,  are  beginning  to 
meet,  and  their  people  to  understand  respectively 
their  position  to  each  other,  and  the  importance  of 
opening  means  of  communication.  They  are  begin- 
ning to  awake  to  your  movements  and  will,  I  have  no 
doubt,  meet  you  with  corresponding  efforts.  There 
is  much  more  reason  to  expect  success  by  the  people 
of  this  region  pushing  for  Portland  than  for  Concord. 
A  railroad  from  Montreal  to  Portland  is  sure  to  go| 
by  way  of  Sherbrooke :  there  are  competitoi's  for  the 
Concord  route.     Again,  too,  Quebec  is  as  much  in- 


THE  ST.  LA  WHENCE  ^f  A  T LAN  TIC  RAIL  WA  V.  145 

terested  in  the  route  as  the  citizens  of  tliis  region. 
The  St.  La\vrence  River  may  be  leached  seventy- 
three  miles  from  Sherbrooke;  Quebec  in  one  hun- 
dred and  eighteen.  Quebec  Mall  then  be  but  two 
hundred  and  seventy-four  miles  from  Portland,  and 
the  distance  by  the  Kennebec  route  is  three  hundred 
miles. 

But  whether  a  railroad  can  be  speedily  expected 
or  not  from  Sherbrooke  to  Portland,  a  good  stage 
road  can  easily  be  made ;  thereby  connecting  the  St. 
Lawrence  River,  at  its  different  points,  w4th  Portland, 
the  principal  seaport,  and  Augusta,  the  capital  of 
Maine,  and  that,  too,  in  the  most  direct  route  to  the 
Atlantic  coast.  The  latter  place  is  only  fifty  miles 
from  Andover,  making  the  distance  from  Sherbrooke 
to  Augusta  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  miles,  and 
from  Montreal  to  Augusta  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
six  miles. 

From  Portland  to  Andover  is  one  of  the  most 
level  routes  in  the  countiy,  and  a  fine  stage  coach 
now  runs  three  times  a  week  each  way,  in  twelve 
hours'  time. 

Fr'-.m  Andover  to  the  line  of  New  Hampshire  a 
good  road  would  at  once  be  finished,  if  exertions 
should  be  made  here  to  extend  the  road  from  Sher- 
brooke to  the  Canada  line.  The  enterprising  people 
of  Colebrooke  are  exerting  themselves,  and  will 
cause  the  road  to  be  opened  across  New  Hampshire, 
as  soon  as  the  residue  of  the  way  is  completed ;  so 
that  the  people  of  Montreal  can,  by  the  way  of  Port- 
land and  Sherbrooke,  get  European  news  one  day 
sooner  than  by  any  other  route. 


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146        FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

The  eighty -five  miles  of  road  between  Andover  to 
Sherbrooke  are  all  passable  with  wagons,  though 
some  parts  are  rough  and  unfinished.  If  it  all  lay  in 
one  of  the  States,  so  important  a  line  of  communica- 
tion would  not  be  neglected  a  single  day.  Situated 
as  it  is,  the  citizens  of  Canada,  New  Hampshire,  and 
Maine  along  this  road  need  only  see  how  important 
it  is  to  their  interests,  to  ensure  its  speedy  and 
thorough  completion. 

The  immense  trade  between  Canada  and  the  States 
is  far  from  being  generally  understood ;  and  it  would 
rapidly  increase,  if  facilities  of  communication  ex- 
isted. The  recent  census  shows  a  population  of 
about  fifteen  hundred  thousand  in  Canada,  and 
Montreal  is  the  great  depot  of  its  business. 

For  nearly  six  months  of  the  year  all  communica- 
tion by  water  with  the  home  government  is  cut  off. 
Her  immense  products  want  a  passage  to  a  place  of 
shipment  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  Let  her  have  this, 
and  there  is  no  country  under  heaven  that  has  equal 
advantages. 

Her  splendid  canals  will  next  year  give  her  a  line 
of  inland  communication  of  more  than  fifteen  hun- 
dred miles,  through  one  of  the  most  fertile  districts 
in  the  world ;  and  with  her  magnificent  water-power 
and  great  capacities  for  production,  she  need  not  fear 
comparison  with  any  portion  of  the  globe. 

A  Citizen  of  Maine. 

Sherbrooke,  September  5,  1844. 


FIRST   ARTICLE   ON   THE   ATLANTIC    AND 
ST.   LAWRENCE   RAILWAY. 

FOR  THE  PORTLAND  ADVERTISER! 

So  mucli  has  been  said,  heretofore,  in  reference  to 
a  railroad  from  Portland,  running  north  or  west, — at 
one  time  proposing  to  connect  with  Lake  Champlain, 
and  at  others  with  Quebec  and  the  Canadas, — with- 
out producing  any  results  favorable  to  the  objects 
proposed,  that  any  remarks  upon  the  subject  may 
seem  idle  and  superfluous.  But  a  recent  visit  to  the 
territory  naturally  connected  with  Portland,  and  a 
knowledge  of  the  measures  now  in  progress  in  the 
Canadas  to  secure  railroad  communication  with  the 
Atlantic  coast,  lead  me  to  make  some  suggestions  for 
the  consideration  of  the  citizens  of  Maine,  and  par- 
ticularly those  of  the  city  of  Portland. 

There  was  a  plan  entertained  a  few  years  since  of 
running  a  railroad  from  some  point  on  the  Atlantic 
coast  in  Maine  to  Quebec.  The  movement,  I  think, 
proceeded  upon  an  erroneous  view  of  the  Canadas. 
Quebec  is  a  place  of  very  little  importance,  except 
as  a  military  station,  and  a  port  for  the  shipment  of 
lumber,  and  its  lumber  trade  is  less  than  that  of 
Bangor  in  our  own  state.  Its  high  northern  latitude 
and  frontier  position  have  caused  its  former  trade  to 

147 


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148        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

pass  gradually  into  the  hands  of  its  more  prosperous 
rival,  Montreal.  The  city  of  Montreal  ic  now  the 
political  as  well  as  the  commercial  capital  of  the 
Canadas,  and  from  its  position  and  natural  advan- 
tages is  destined  to  be  one  of  the  three  great  cities 
of  the  continent.  It  is  the  natural  dep6t  of  the 
business  of  the  valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  ex- 
tent and  value  of  which  are  very  inadequately  un- 
derstood by  the  people  of  the  United  States  ;  while 
the  magnificent  chain  of  its  inland  seas  and  the  sur- 
passing attraction  of  its  variegated  scenery  are  cele- 
brated throughout  the  world. 

The  progress  of  the  Canadas  in  business,  popula- 
tion, and  wealth  is  equal  to  that  of  the  most  favored 
states  of  the  Union.  A  recent  census,  just  com- 
pleted, shows  a  population  of  about  fifteen  hundred 
thousand,  which  shows  that  it  has  nearly  doubled 
in  twenty  years — a  growth  more  rapid  than  that  of 
the  state  of  New  York.  Her  business  has  increased 
in  a  still  greater  ratio,  owing  to  her  facilities  of  trade 
with  the  home  government  and  means  of  supplying 
British  goods  along  the  two  thousand  miles  of  our 
frontier.  These  facilities  are  being  rapidly  increased. 
Her  public  works  are  of  an  equal  cost  with  those 
of  the  state  of  New  York,  and  are  accomplished 
with  greater  assurances  of  success  as  to  business 
advantages. 

The  Rideau  Canal,  one  hundred  and  thirty-five 
miles  long,  connecting  the  Ottawa  with  Lake  Onta- 
rio at  Kingston,  though  undertaken  as  a  military 
work,  and  paid  for  from  the  military  chest,  at  an 
expense  of  seven  million  dollars,  is  a  work  of  great 


I 


THE  A  TLANTIC  6-  ST.  LA  WRENCE  RAIL  WA  Y.  149 


importance  in  a  business  point  of  view,  it  being  the 
upward  route  of  the  large  steamers  which  pass  down 
the  Long  Sault  Rapids. 

The  Welland  Canal.,  forty-two  miles  long,  connect- 
ing Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario  for  sloop  navigation, 
passing  Niagara  Falls,  originally  cost  two  million 
dollars.  This  canal  is  now  in  the  process  of  enlarge- 
ment, to  correspond  with  the  great  canals  on  the  St. 
Lawrence  River ;  and  when  completed  will  be  fur- 
nished with  fifty-five  feet  locks,  and  ten  feet  depth 
of  water,  so  as  to  allow  the  passage  of  steamers  of 
one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  in  length  and  four  hun- 
dred or  five  hundred  tons  burthen.  This  is  a  link  in 
the  great  line  of  canals  commencing  at  Montreal. 

Of  these  the  first  is  the  Lachine  Canal,  from  Mon- 
treal to  the  village  of  Lachine  (eight  miles),  which 
distance  is  now  passed  by  stage  in  descending  the 
river. 

The  next  is  the  Beauharnois  Canal,  which  extends 
sixteen  miles,  passing  the  Cedar  Rapids,  so  cele- 
brated for  their  disasters. 

The  third  is  the  St.  Laiorence  Canal,  now  finished 
and  extending  twelve  miles,  and  passing  the  Long 
Sault  Rapids. 

These  three  last-named  works  will  cost  over  seven 
million  dollars,  and  be  completed,  as  will  also  the 
enlargement  of  the  Welland  Canal,  during  the  com- 
ing year,  1845  ;  so  that,  during  the  coming  year, 
steamboats  of  a  large  size  and  other  vessels  will  have 
a  continuous  line  of  communication  from  the  Gulf  of 
Newfoundland  up  the  whole  length  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence River  through  the  Great  Lakes  to  the  head  of 


\  A  ffi-a 


UW:' 


;v5Pf 
'■  .-'"I 


(■  -/j'JGvi 


\m. 


1 50        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


ii.r. 


Lake  Superior,  if  not  to  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  a 
distance  of  over  two  thousand  miles. 

The  trade  and  traffic  of  the  vast  region  drained 
by  the  St.  Lawrence  River  on  the  Canada  side,  and 
much  on  the  American,  centres  at,  or  raulates  from, 
Montreal.  Already  containing  a  population  of  over 
fifty  thousand,  it  is  now  increasing  both  in  popula- 
tion and  business,  relatively  faster  than  any  city  on 
the  continent.  There  is  only  one  drawback  to  the 
growth  and  prosperity  of  this  city,  and  that  is  the 
interruption  of  the  communication  with  the  ocean 
for  the  long  period  of  winter. 

The  climate  of  all  British  North  America  below 
the  forty-seventh  degree  of  latitude,  except  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Atlantic  coast,  is  exceedingly 
mild,  and  the  soil  one  of  great  fertility.  Fruits  of 
all  kinds  are  abundantly  raised  at  Montreal,  and  the 
climate  is  much  softer  than  that  farther  south  in  the 
highland  regions  of  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  and 
Vermont. 

The  St.  Lawrence  River  enters  the  ocean  between 
the  forty-ninth  and  fifty-first  degree  of  latitude,  and 
for  six  months  in  the  year  its  navigation  is  danger- 
ous or  entirely  obstructed.  This  is  a  serious  check 
to  the  business  of  Montreal.  One  great  staple  of 
the  Candidas — jlour — can  with  difficulty  be  got  to  the 
market  in  season  for  fall  navigation ;  and  the  fluctu- 
ations in  price  frequently  lead  to  great  losses,  which 
a  ready  shipment  would  avert.  Last  w^inter  almost 
the  whole  stock  of  flour  lay  over  till  spring ;  and, 
before  it  could  be  shipped,  had  fallen  something 
like  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  barrel. 


THE  A  TLANTIC  6*  ST.  LA  WRENCE  RAIL  WAY.  15 1 

No  one  can  fail  for  a  moment  to  see  that  the  city 
of  Montreal  must  have  an  outlet  to  the  Atlantic  co^iat. 
This  subject  is  now  occu[)ying  the  attention  of  the 
people  of  Canada,  and  lier  movements  are  attracting 
the  attention  of  the  people  of  the  United  States,  on 
some  of  the  proposed  routes. 

No  little  diversity  of  opinion  exists  as  to  the  best 
route  to  be  selected,  but  no  one  doubts  the  early 
accomplishment  of  this  object.  Meetings  have  been 
held  in  various  places  and  moneys  raised  to  explore 
and  survey  the  best  routes.  I  was  at  Sherbrooke  a 
few  days  since,  and  was  surprised  to  find  so  nmch 
interest  and  enthusiasm  on  the  subject.  This  is  a 
thriving  Yankee-looking  village,  and  the  headquar- 
ters of  the  British-American  Land  Company,  who 
own  large  quantities  of  land  in  the  eastern  town- 
ships. These  townships  embrace  a  territory  equal 
in  size  to  the  state  of  Vermont,  with  a  soil  far  su- 
perior in  quality.  This  region  is  rapidly  filling  up, 
and  improvements  of  all  sorts  are  in  pi'ogress.  A 
cotton  factory,  eighty  feet  by  forty,  is  now  being 
erected  at  Sherbrooke. 

Situated  in  the  central  position  as  to  Montreal 
and  Quebec  and  in  the  line  of  the  most  direct  and 
practicable  route  to  the  Atlantic  coast,  the  people  of 
Sherbrooke  confidently  expect  the  proposed  railroad 
to  pass  through  their  town.  It  is  ninety-one  miles 
from  there  to  Montreal,  seventy-three  to  the  St.  Law- 
rence River,  and  one  hundred  and  eighteen  to  Que- 
bec. A  survey  for  a  railroad  is  already  in  progress 
from  Montreal  to  Sherbrooke,  and  the  people  of 
that  region  are  seeking  the  best  outlet  to  the  ocean. 


\*.  ^ 


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159        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

The  distance  to  Portland  is  as  follows : 

Montreal  to  Sherbrooke 91  miles 

Sherbrooke  to  Canaan 30  miles 

Canaan  to  Colebrooke  (New  Hampshire) 10  miles 

Colebrooke  to  Andover  43  miles 

Andover  to  Portland ' . . .  72  miles 

Total 246  miles 

Another  route  spoken  of  is  by  way  of  Concord, 
New  Hanii)9hire,  to  Boston ;  the  distances  are  as 
follows,  viz : 

Montreal  to  Sherbrooke 91  miles 

Sherbrook  to  Stanstead   34  miles 

Stanstead  to  Haverhill 80  miles 

Haverhill  to  Concord 70  miles 

Concord  to  Boston 76  miles 

Total 351  miles 

Another  route  still  talked  of,  by  the  way  of  Brat- 
tleborough,  and  thence  to  Sherbrooke  or  Burlington. 
But  more  difficulties  are  to  be  anticipated  in  finding 
a  route  there  than  by  way  of  Concord. 

Boston  may  be  reached  l)y  the  way  of  Portland 
as  easily  as  by  Concord ;  and  by  twenty-nine  miles 
less  of  road  to  be  built. 

One  strong  reason  requiring  the  opening  of  a  rail- 
road from  Montreal  to  the  Atlantic  is  the  necessity 
of  more  rapid  transmission  of  the  great  British  -  V 
The  difficulties  of  the  navigation  of  the  Ne\\  id- 
land  seas  and  the  St.  Lawrence  are  such  that  ..fter 
this  year  the  Halifax  and  Quebec  line  is  to  be  given 
up,  and  the  Cunard  steamers  will  not  touch  at  Hali- 
fax.    It  is  exceedingly  important  that  the  shortest 


THE  A  TLANTIC  ^  ST.  LA  WRENCE  RAIL  WA  V.  153 

route  should  be  preferred.  I'^very  citizen  of  I\)rtliiiid 
is  aware  that  liis  city  is  more  than  one  liundi'e«l 
miles  nearer  Montreal  than  Boston  is ;  but  the  peo- 
ple of  the  Canadas  are  not  generally  aware  of  the 
fact.  It  is  known,  too,  to  almost  every  one  in 
Maine,  that  the  easiest  and  most  practicable  route  for 
a  railroad  is  by  the  Avay  of  Sherbrooke  to  Portland  ; 
and  yet  the  peo[)le  of  Portland  are  far  from  being 
alive  to  the  importance  of  this  railroad  to  her  i)r()S- 
perity.  The  vast  products  of  Canada  only  want  a 
road  to  make  their  transit  to  Portland,  thence  to  be 
forwarded  to  England,  or  our  goods  taken  in  return. 
The  sale  of  American  goods  in  Canada  is  far  more 
than  is  commonly  supposed.  Amei'ican  goods  to 
over  three  million  dollars  in  value  paid  duty  at  the 
city  of  St.  Johns  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Clmmplain,  in 
the  year  1843  ;  and  this  is  believed  by  good  judges 
to  be  less  than  one  fifth  of  the  whole  amount  which 
annually  passes  into  Canada.  An  important  portion 
of  this  trade  would  go  by  a  railroad. 

The  citizens  of  Portland  may  rest  assured  that 
within  a  short  time  a  railroad  will  be  extended  to 
some  point  on  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Montreal.  So 
much  is  certain,  when  and  where  is  for  them  to  say. 
It  would  require  v^oliimes  to  point  out  the  advan- 
tages of  it  to  your  city,  and  I  cannot  believe  they 
will  remain  indiiferent  Avhile  these  advantages  are 
within  their  reach. 

P. 

Andover,  September  lo,  1844. 


■'.,'•'* 

m 


w 


:  'i 


PLAN    FOR    SHORTENING    THE    TIME 
PASSAGE  BETWEEN   NEW  YORK 
AND   LONDON. 


OF 


The  plan  of  extending  a  line  of  railway  across 
the  State  of  Maine  and  the  Provinces  of  New 
Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia  to  the  nearest  available 
point  of  North  America  to  Ireland  has  been  fre- 
(j[uently  suggested  to  very  many  minds  of  both  con- 
tinents— looking  at  the  (question  from  various  and 
distinct  points  of  observation.  No  one  familiar  with 
the  commonest  pi'inciples  of  commercial  economy 
can  for  a  moment  doubt  the  truth  of  the  assertion, 
that  at  some  time  or  other  the  necessities  of  trade 
will  require  the  adoption  of  the  shortest  possible 
sea  voyage  between  the  continents  of  Eui'ope  and 
America.  The  discei-ning  minds  of  botli  continents, 
have  seen  the  rapid  approach  of  this  event  in  the 
various  measures  by  which  the  lines  of  railway 
liave  been  pushed  out  from  the  great  commercial 
centres  of  England  and  the  United  States  toward 
each  other,  in  the  general  direction  of  tke  shortest 
line  between  them ;  and  in  the  employment  of 
steamships  of  the  most  approved  models  for  speed 
and  safety,  in  preference  to  the  ordinary  sailing  ves- 
sels of  formet'  times. 

154 


iv  •  ■'. 


SHORTENING  TIME  OF  PASSAGE. 


155 


To  have  attempted  to  carry  out  the  idea  of 
reducing  the  time  of  passage  between  New  York 
and  London  to  its  lowest  possible  limit  at  the  time 
the  line  of  the  Cunavd  steamers  was  established, 
would  have  been  premature.  The  plan  can  never  be 
properly  successful  till  the  business  along  the  rail- 
way lines  from  London  to  the  west  coast  of  Ireland, 
and  fi'om  New  York  to  Canso,  including  through 
and  way  business  united,  will  justify  the  investment 
of  the  capital  necessary  for  its  completion.  Whether 
or  not  that  time  has  arrived  is  a  question  which  has 
been  fairly  propounded,  and  which  the  business 
men  of  both  countries  are  now  preparing  to  solve. 
The  movement  on  this  continent  toward  accomplish- 
ing this  result  has  been  made,  in  consequence  of 
the  grant  of  monay  made  by  the  British  government 
toward  the  completion  of  the  Midland  Gi'eat  West- 
ern Railway  of  Ireland,  to  extend  from  Dublin  to 
Galway ;  and  in  aid  ot  the  Britannia  Tubidar  Bridge. 

Under  the  impression  that  the  completion  of  the 
line  ')f  railway  across  the  Menai  Strait  and  across 
the  breadth  of  Ireland  must  change  the  course  of 
travel,  and  the  point  of  its  embarkation  to  this  con- 
tinent from  the  British  Islands  and  tlie  continent  of 
Europe,  an  effort  was  made  to  arouse  the  public 
mind  of  Maine  in  favor  (  f  a  correspc^nding  move- 
ment on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  at  a  railroad  meet- 
ing held  at  Bangor  in  February,  1850.  The  interest 
avvalv'ened  by  the  discussion  on  that  occasion  led  to 
the  presentation  of  the  matter  to  tlie  Legislature 
of  Maine,  in  the  following  petition,  which  was  laid 
before  that  body : 


'  -^k 


\-j\ 


-:  ;i 


i^: 


h-^i  .1: 


'um.^ 


156        FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

PETITIOX. 

To  the  Honorable,  the  Senate  and  House  of 
Representatives  of  the  State  of  Maine,  in  session  at 
Augusta,  A.D.  1850: — The  undersigned,  citizens  of 
Maine,  respectfully  request  your  honorable  body  to 
cause  to  be  surveyed  and  ascertained,  the  most  prac- 
ticable route  for  a  railway  from  the  city  of  Bangor 
to  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  state,  in  the  general 
direction  of  the  city  of  St.  John,  New  Brunswick ; 
and  to  take  such  further  action  in  the  premises 
as  will  tend  to  favor  the  construction  of  a  rail- 
road from  the  city  of  Bangor  to  some  good  harbor 
on  the  eastern  shore  of  Nova  Scotia,  or  Cape 
Breton,  best  fitted  to  become  the  entrepot  and 
terminus  for  the  most  direct  line  of  Transatlantic 
navigation. 

From  the  easternmost  point  of  Nova  Scotia,  Cape 
Canso,  in  latitude  45  deg.  1 7  min.  N.  and  in  longitude 
61  deg.  3  min.  W.,  to  Galway  Bay,  in  Ireland,  in 
latitude  53  deg.  13  min.  N.  and  in  longitude  9  deg. 
13  min.  W.,  the  distance  is  about  2,000  miles.  As- 
suming a  speed  of  seventeen  miles  an  hour  in  steam 
vessels,  the  Atlantic  Ocean  can  be  crossed  between 
these  points  in  five  days'  time. 

The  nearest  accessible  harbor  to  Cape  Canso — 
Whitehaven,  in  latitude  45  deg.  10  min.  N.,  longitude 
61  deg.  10  min.  W.,  according  to  the  authority  of  Ad- 
miral Owen,  in  a  report  on  the  subject  made  to  Sir 
John  Harvey,  September,  1846 — ''is  a  most  splendid 
and  commodious  port,  at  the  nearest  available  point 
of  North  America  to  Ireland;  its  natural  facilities 
greatly  exceeding  those   of   Halifax,  or  any  other 


'I  > ;,''[' 


SHOx<TENING  TIME  OF  PASSAGE. 


157 


.t;''"? 


point  upon  the  coast."  Galway  Harbor  is  one  of  the 
iinest  in  the  world,  having  great  advantages  over 
Bristol  or  Liverpool  as  a  steamship  terminus. 

The  Gut  of  Canso  could  possibly  be  passed  by  a 
bridge ;  but  upon  this  point  there  is  at  present  no 
satisfactoiy  information.  By  means  of  a  ferry  across 
the  Gut  of  Canso,  the  line  could  be  extended  to 
Louisburg  Harbor  in  Cape  Breton,  still  farther  east, 
to  a  point  less  than  two  thousand  miles  distant  from 
Galway  Bay,  as  will  appear  by  map  or  plan. 

From  Galway  to  Dublin  a  line  of  railway  is  nearly 
completed  across  Ireland,  and  is  in  actual  operation 
from  Dublin  to  Mullingar,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles. 
From  Dublin,  the  distance  of  sixty-three  miles  across 
the  Irish  Channel  to  Holyhead,  is  passed  with  steam 
packets,  at  the  rate  of  eighteen  miles  an  hour,  to  which 
place  ^he  Chester  and  Holyhead  Railway  is  already 
finished,  connecting  with  Liveipool  and  London — 
crossing  the  Menai  Strait  by  the  Britannia  Tubular 
Bridge,  which  was  opened  for  trafiSc  on  the  18th  of 
March,  1850. 

The  route  of  the  steamship  from  Liverpool  to 
New  York  passes  nea  to  Cape  Race  in  Newfound- 
land, Cape  Breton,  and  Cape  Canso,  and  thence  along 
the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia  by  Cape  Sable,  and  paral- 
lel with  the  general  line  of  the  c</ast  of  New  Bruns- 
wick and  Maine.  From  Cape  Canso  to  New  York 
the  distance  can  be  passed  in  about  the  length  of 
line  by  land  as  by  water,  and  in  one  third  the  time. 
From  New  York  to  Waterville  the  railway  is  already 
finished,  a  distance  of  four  hundred  and  ten  miles. 
From  Waterville  to  the  city  of  St.  John  the  distance 


'  !3 


»S8 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


V  ■^ 


\\'  U- 


^f  -;.• 


would  probably  be  about  two  hundred  miles ;  and 
from  St.  John  to  Whitehaven  less  than  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  farther ;  making  the  entire  distance 
from  New  York  to  Whitehaven  from  eight  hundred 
to  nine  hundred  miles  in  all. 

From  Whitehaven  to  the  head  of  the  Bay  of 
Fundy,  at  Sackville,  a  feasible  route  for  a  railway 
has  been  ascertained,  passing  near  to  Pictou,  through 
the  valuable  coal  districts  along  the  shore  of  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence ;  and  it  is  believed  that  the 
Legislature  of  Nova  Scotia  would  cheerfully  engage 
to  construct  that  part  of  the  line  whenever  the  other 
portions  are  secured. 

A  line  of  railway  from  Halifax,  passing  in  the 
vicinity  of  Truro,  could  be  easily  connected  at  r^ome 
feasible  point  with  the  main  trunk ;  and  it  cannot 
be  doubted  that  the  enterprising  citizens  of  Halifax 
would  engage  in  its  construction  at  once.  At  the 
present  time  they  are  urging  the  completion  of  a  line 
from  Halifax  to  Windsor,  and  a  survey  of  the  route 
has  been  accomplished. 

From  the  city  of  St.  John  to  Shediac  Bay,  on  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  a  line  has  been  surveyed  for  a 
railway  on  the  general  line  of  the  route  to  Sackville, 
and  Provincial  aid  to  a  large  amount  proposed.  The 
Province  of  New  Brunswick  has  recently  appropri- 
ated £60,000  currency— $240,000,  to  construct  that 
portion  of  the  distance  between  Shediac  Bay  and  the 
bend  of  the  Petecodiac  River — ihe  head  of  naviga- 
tion on  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  No  doubt  can  be  enter- 
tained that  the  Province  would  extend  this  line  from 
a  point  of  connection  with  the  Nova  Scotia  line  to 


»«•? 


^11 


SHORTENING  TIME  OF  PASSAGE. 


159 


''  : '  i*i^ 


the  city  of  St.  John  ;  and  it  is  believed  that  the  local 
business  of  the  country  between  the  city  of  St.  John 
and  the  head  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy  would  at  the 
present  time  pay  a  tolerable  remuneration  10  the 
stockholders. 

From  the  city  of  St.  John  to  Bangor  it  is  supposed 
that  a  route  tolerably  direct  can  be  found  without 
encountering  serious  obstacles.  The  necessary  infor- 
mation upon  this  point  has  never  been  ascertained  ; 
and  it  is  for  the  purpose  of  asking  that  this  service 
may  be  speedily  accomplished,  that  we  approach  your 
honorable  body.  From  Bangor  to  Waterville  pri- 
vate enterprise  has  already  demonstrated  the  fact 
that  either  of  several  cheap  and  practicable  routes 
can  be  adopted. 

The  only  grant  asked  of  the  Legislature,  or  that 
will  be  necessary  to  obtain,  is  an  appropriation  suf- 
ficient to  secure  the  completion  of  the  remaining 
link  in  the  line  of  surveys,  and  at  a  suitable  time, 
the  necessary  gi'ant  of  a  charter  to  carry  forward 
this  work,  which,  from  the  progress  of  events,  must 
soon  claim  the  public  attention. 

The  citizens  of  Maine  are  generally  aware  of  the 
importance  of  the  question  to  the  best  interests  of 
the  state  ;  but  the  work  is  too  great  for  individuals 
to  undertake  with  their  present  means.  The  proper 
surveys  once  being  completed  would  place  before 
the  country  the  great  advantage  of  the  position  of 
our  state  for  a  leading  part  in  the  commercial  move- 
ments of  the  age.  Private  enterprise  ought  not  to 
be  so  largely  taxed  as  it  must  necessarily  be  without 
the  grant  of  aid  to  the  proposed  survey  in  whole  or 


I'M 


*  •(■■Jstfj 


^^T^il 


li'i'--;: 


i6o       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

in  part  by  the  state,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring 
valuable  information,  equally  desired  by,  or  at  any 
rate  of  equal  importance  to,  all.  Maine  ought  not, 
either,  to  I'emain  indifferent  to  the  great  advantages 
which  may  now  be  brought  within  her  reach  by  a 
proper  attention  to  the  great  movements  in  ocean 
steam  navigation  and  commercial  affairs. 

The  most  strenuous  efforts  are  now  made  to  revive 
the  plan  of  the  Quebec  and  Halifax  line  ;  and  vari- 


ous proje^+s 


are  now  engagmg 


tin.   attention  of  the 


British  Fjovinces,  with  a  view  to  se  ire  in  some  form 
the  aid  of  the  home  jjovernment.  The  movement  is 
gaining  favor  in  Great  Britain.  From  Halifax  to 
Quebec  the  distance,  according  to  the  survey  for  a 
railroad  by  Major  Robinson,  is  six  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  miles  ;  and  this  road  is  urged  upon  public  atten- 
tion with  a  view  to  draw  over  it  a  portion  of  the 
"Western  trade,  and  place  the  Lower  Provinces  in  the 
great  line  of  communication  between  the  grain-grow- 
ing regions  of  this  continent  and  Europe.  Without 
going  into  an  extended  examination  of  the  merits  of 
this  project,  it  seems  to  us  that  it  must  strike  every 
intelligent  mind  that  the  most  natural — the  cheapest 
and  best — mode  of  obtaining  a  communication  by 
railway  between  the  Lower  Provinces  and  Montreal 
and  the  West  will  be  found  by  extending  a  line  of 
raihvay  in  the  direction  of  Bangor  and  Waterville, 
Maine.  From  Waterville  to  Montreal,  a  distance  of 
three  hundred  miles,  the  entire  line  is  finished  or 
under  cont^'^ct  for  completion  in  1852,  and  a  branch 
to  Quebec  ii^ay  be  regarded  as  secured  within  three 
years  from  the  present  time. 


SHORTENING  TIME  OF  PASSAGE. 


i6i 


The  highest  importance  therefore  attaches  to  every 
movement  having  reference  to  the  extension  of  rail- 
ways east  of  Bangor,  or  from  the  Lower  Provinces 
in  the  direction  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River.  One 
great  central  line  for  the  whole  state,  and  for  Euro- 
pean communication,  once  laid  down,  into  which  the 
various  branch  lines  could  enter,  on  either  side  as 
required — connected  with  a  line  extending  to  Mon- 
treal and  Quebec, — a  system  of  railways  would  be 
secured  surpassing  in  value  and  importance  any  that 
has  yet  been  proposed. 

It  is  not  proposed  to  urge  any  one  to  embark 
hastily  in  the  construction  of  the  projected  line  ;  but 
to  so  far  present  the  advantages  of  this  route  for  the 
great  ends  in  view,  over  any  other  possible  line,  as  to 
secure  for  it  such  aid  as  in  the  progress  of  events  its 
advantages  may  call  forth.  If  the  practicability  of 
the  line  were  properly  demonstrated,  it  is  believed 
that  it  would  command  support  from  the  great  com- 
mercial interests  of  Great  Britain  and  the  United 
States.  If  already  built,  no  one  can  doubt  the  value 
of  the  undertaking  as  a  mode  of  profitable  invest- 
ment. Those  who  may  incline  to  hesitate,  in  yield- 
ing assent  to  the  truth  of  this  assertion,  are  invited 
to  very  carefully  review  the  present  condition  of 
affairs. 

The  United  States  now  embrace  a  territory  of 
2,187,490  square  miles  not  organized  ini„  states, 
including  Texas.  If  this  whole  territory  was  as 
densely  populated  as  the  state  of  Massachusetts,  it 
would  contain  a  population  of  over  two  hundred 
millions  of  people.     The  same  extent  of  territoiy  in 


ii.: 


,.> , 


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3 


1 6 2       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

Europe,  under  similar  climate,  and  with  fewer 
natural  advantages,  contains  a  still  greater  popula- 
tion, while  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland  has  a  ratio  of  population  to  the  square 
mile  more  than  twice  as  great  as  Massachusetts. 
The  twenty-nine  remaining  states,  exclusive  of 
Texas,  comprise  an  extent  of  1,065,158  square  miles 
more.  The  increase  of  population  in  the  United 
states  from  1790  to  1800,  was  at  the  rate  of  35.01 
percent.;  from  1800  to  1810,  36.45  per  cent.;  from 
1810  to  1820,  33.35  per  cent.;  from  1820  to  1830, 
33.26  per  cent. ;  from  1830  to  1840,  32.67  per  cent. 
It  is  believed  that  the  census  of  1 850  will  show  that 
from  1840  to  1850,  the  increase  has  been  as  great  as 
at  any  other  period  of  ten  years.  Causes  now  at 
work  tend  rather  to  increase  than  diminish  the  ratio 
of  increase  ;  and  many  now  alive  will  see  this  nation 
numbering  one  hundred  and  fifty  millions  of  people. 

Commercial  intercourse  between  the  United 
States  and  Europe  has  gone  on  increasing  more 
rapidly  than  the  population  of  the  country.  In  the 
year  1820,  the  attempt  was  first  made  to  establish  a 
line  of  packet  ships  to  Liverpool,  to  sail  on  certain 
stated  days.  Almost  every  one  prophesied  their 
failure,  though  embracing  only  two  in  number,  and 
of  450  tons  burthen.  At  this  time  there  are  lines 
of  regular  sailing  packets  from  all  our  large  cities, 
embracing  vessels  of  over  2,000  tons  burthen,  and 
reaching  hundreds  of  ships  in  number. 

About  fifteen  years  ago,  the  scientific  world  lis- 
tened ^'ith  attention  to  the  assertion  of  the  learned 
Dr.  Lardner,  that  it  was  impossible  to  navigate  the; 


71 


'■1 


SHORTENING  TIME  OF  PASSAGE. 


163 


Atlantic  Ocean  by  steam.  This  theory  was  dis- 
proved by  the  amval  of  two  steamers,  the  Slriiis  and 
the  Great  Western,  in  New  York  Harbor,  one  from 
Bristol,  the  other  from  Liverpool,  on  the  23d  day  of 
April,  1838,  both  on  the  same  day.  More  than 
twenty  steamships  during  the  present  year  will  run 
as  regular  packets  between  this  country  and  Europe, 
while  the  number  of  sailing  vessels  is  greater  than  at 
any  former  period. 

The  number  of  immigrants  which  anived  in  New 
York  in  1838  was  25,581.  In  1849,  the  number 
reached  231,779.  The  number  which  left  the  United 
Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  for  the  United 
States  in  1848,  was  188,223  ;  and  the  whole  immigra- 
tion into  this  country  in  that  year  exceeded  250,000. 
In  the  year  1849,  the  number  of  immigrant  ariivals 
reached  325,000  ;  and  it  is  estimated  that  the  number 
will  exceed  400,000  the  present  year. 

Every  year  gives  fresh  impulses  to  the  cause  of 
immigration  to  the  United  States,  and  the  disturbed 
condition  of  all  commercial  affairs  on  the  continent 
of  Europe  is  operating  to  invite  a  better  class  of 
immigrants  than  heretofore,  embracing  much  of  the 
skill  and  mechanical  industry  of  Switzerland,  France, 
and  Germany. 

The  most  indifferent  observer  will  admit  that  the 
increase  of  facilities  for  tra/el  with  Europe,  must 
increase  far  more  rapidly  for  the  next  ten  years,  than 
at  any  former  period.  The  tiade  between  the 
United  States  and  Great  Britain  is  constantly  in- 
creasing and  at  the  present  moment  beyond  any 
former  example.    The  exports  to  England  in  1840, 


,  !'*Ta 


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,lv*i  ■■■■.* 

>l'..     'U     ':■    .1  . 


164       yJ'/^^T'  INTERNA  7 ZONAL  HAIL  WA  Y. 

were  $24,599,666,  in  1848  $71,752,315.  The  imports 
from  England  in  1830,  were  $22,755,040,  in  1848 
$59,763,522.  Both  exports  and  imports  in  1847  ex- 
ceeded those  of  1848,  but  the  extraordinary  demand 
for  food  occasioned  by  the  famine  in  Ireland,  gave  an 
unusual  impulse  to  trade  in  that  year. 

A  route  which  would  enable  the  traveller  to  see 
an'  attractive  portion  of  this  continent,  the  best 
portion  of  Ireland,  and  the  most  extraordinary  work 
of  human  skill,  the  Britannia  Tubular  Bridge,  would 
of  itself  invite  the  pleasure  tourist  to  take  this  route, 
if  no  saving  of  time  or  expense  were  secured.  But  it 
is  confidently  asserted  that  while  to  the  man  of 
business  the  same  attractions  would  be  offered  by  the 
plan  proposed,  the  expense  of  a  trip  to  Europe  can 
be  largely  reduced,  while  it  shall  save  him  much  if 
not  all  uncert^  aty  as  to  the  time  of  his  arrival,  and 
some  days'  time  for  pui-poses  of  business. 

From  New  York  to  Liverpool,  in  the  shortest  line, 
is  3,000  miles,  the  route  usually  traversed  is  over 
3,300  miles.  By  taking  the  railway  from  New  York 
to  Halifax  or  Canso,  employing  the  swiftest  steam 
packet  from  thec^e  to  Gal  way,  crossing  the  Great 
Midland  Railway  from  Gal  way  to  Dublin,  a  distance 
of  about  120  miles,  and  from  thence  to  Holyhead 
Harbor,  a  distance  of  63  miles,  and  from  thence 
to  London,  by  the  Chester  and  Holyhead  and  Lon- 
don and  Northwestern  Railways,  a  distance  of  263 
miles — employing  about  1,200  miles  of  railway,  and 
2,000  miles  of  steam  navigation, — the  passage  from 
New  York  to  London  may  be  reduced  to  seven  days' 
time  at  all  events,  and  possibly  to  six  days  within  a 
few  years  at  farthest. 


SHORTENING  TIME  OF  PASSAGE. 


165 


This  can  only  be  achieved  by  8liortening  the  sea 
voyage,  and  dispensing  with  the  vast  weight  of  coal 
and  other  siipeiiluous  load  now  carried.  Vessels 
designed  for  crossing  the  ocean  with  speed,  should 
be  relieved  of  all  load  not  requisite  for  steadiness 
and  good  carriage.  Oidinary  merchandise  will 
always  go  more  cheaply  in  sailing  vessels.  Valuable 
goods  could  be  transferred  to  boats  of  still  greater 
speed,  from  the  ocean  terminus,  running  if  necessaiy 
to  the  v^arious  Atlantic  cities,  if  too  bulky  to  go  by 
railway.  In  this  way,  the  safest  and  swiftest  pas- 
sage would  be  secured.  In  a  few  years,  instead  of  a 
semi- weekly,  a  daily  arrival  of  steamships  may  be 
expected. 

One  hundred  through  passengers  a  day  each  way 
by  the  railway,  would  give  a  most  profitable  business 
to  the  road,  in  addition  to  its  local  business  ;  and  the 
highest  price  would  readily  be  paid  for  the  carrying 
of  the  mails.  The  British  and  the  American  gov- 
ernments would  willingly  enter  into  a  perpetual  or 
permanent  contract  for  this  service,  at  rates  of  com- 
pensation representing  a  capital  equal  to  one  third 
the  entire  cost  of  the  line.  If  the  proper  surveys 
were  now  completed,  and  the  necessary  chartei's 
granted,  for  a  continuous  line  from  Bangor  to  White- 
haven or  Halifax,  the  scheme  would  offer  induce- 
ments for  the  employment  of  capital,  unsurpassed  by 
any  enterprise  of  the  age. 

Looking  forward  but  twenty-five  years  uuly.  we 
shall  see  this  government  containing  fifty  millions  of 
people.  Its  great  rivers  and  inland  seas — its  mineral 
wealth  and  inexhaustible  soil — within  a  latitude 
favorable  to  health  of  body  and  vigor  of  mind, — all 


.!< 


i 


!  a;?   F 


! 


1 66       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IV A  Y. 

conspire  to  give  the  fullest  development  to  the  spint 
of  progress,  recjuisite  to  supply  means  for  the  fullest 
gratification  of  every  want  known  to  the  highest 
civilization. 

•  Under  any  form  of  government  known  to  civilized 
man,  the  progress  of  the  race  would  be,  under  such 
influences,  rapid  and  vigorous.  When,  therefore,  an 
enteiprising  race,  in  the  possession  of  such  physical 
advantages  as  this  country  possesses,  are  stimulated 
to  exertion  by  the  action  of  a  free  government  upon 
the  energies  of  the  whole  people,  we  may  confidently 
expect  a  higher  development  in  the  ideas  and  institu- 
tions of  society,  and  a  more  practical  application  of 
knowledge  to  the  wants  and  necessities  of  life. 

Maine,  from  her  frontier  position  and  severe  cli- 
mate, has  been  heretofore  regarded  as  the  least 
favored  of  all  the  states  in  the  Union ;  while  it  has 
the  power  to  become  the  great  manufacturing  and 
great  ship-owning  state  of  the  Confederacy,  if  not 
the  first  in  point  of  commercial  importance.  Our 
climate  and  our  geographical  position,  generally 
spoken  of  as  our  misfortunes,  are  in  fact  the  great 
elements  of  our  strength.  The  increased  necessities 
which  our  climate  imposes  upon  us,  beyond  those  of 
a  warmei*  latitude,  are  far  more  than  compensated  by 
our  superior  capacity  for  labor,  our  greater  power  of 
endurance,  and  our  extraordinary  fondness  for  exer- 
tion. With  a  more  extended  line  of  sea-coast  than 
any  other  state  in  the  Union,  and  more  good  harbors 
than  all  the  other  states  together,  Maine  will  present 
at  some  future  day,  along  her  bays  and  rivers,  a  line 
of  cities  surpassing  those  which  are  now  found  upon 


"f- 


w.- 1 . 


*■  •  ^'i 


SHORTENING  TIME  OF  PASSAGE. 


167 


♦ .  ■'■ 


the  shores  of  the  English  Channel,  or  the  Baltic 
Sea. 

This  result  will  be  hastened  by  attracting  into  our 
own  state  the  great  stream  of  European  business  and 
travel,  where  it  shall  divide  into  two  great  channels 
— one  flowing  uoi'thward  to  the  St.  Lawrence  valley 
and  the  West,  the  other  flowing  southward  to  the 
great  commercial  cities  of  the  continent. 

Without  the  fertile  soil  of  the  West,  or  the  rich 
deposits  of  coal  and  iron  of  Pennsylvania,  Maine  for 
twenty  years  past  has  not  kept  pace  with  the  ratio  of 
increase  of  the  whole  countiy.  From  1820  to  1830, 
the  ratio  of  her  increase  was  33.9  per  cent.,  or  about 
the  same  as  that  of  the  whole  Union.  From  1830  to 
1840  the  rate  of  increase  was  only  26.2  per  cent. 
Notwithstanding  the  healthiness  of  our  climate,  the 
extent  of  our  public  lands,  with  all  the  facilities  in- 
viting emigration  from  the  more  densely  populated 
districts  of  New  England,  immigration  into  the  state 
had  become  nearly  stationary,  and  the  tendency  of 
our  people  to  emigrate  west,  remained  unchecked, 
till  the  movement  was  made  to  construct  a  railroad 
from  Poi*t]and  to  Montreal.  The  effect  of  that  move- 
ment is  already  apparent  upon  the  character,  the 
enterprise,  and  the  business  of  the  state.  A  small 
portion  only  of  the  energy  which  has  been  applied 
to  that  undertaking,  will  speedily  accomplish  the 
end  now  proposed ; — favorably  affecting  that  great 
enterprise,  and  all  the  leading  interests  of  Maine. 

The  time  is  not  regarded  by  most  persons  as  par- 
ticularly favorable  for  entering  upon  new  enterprises. 
The  great  interests  of  Maine,  ship-building  and  lum- 


i 


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I 


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■■■i^'i 


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1 68 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


bei'ing,  for  some  three  years  past  have  been  severely 
depressed,  fiiriiisliing  less  returns  ev^en  than  invest- 
ments in  railwavs.  These,  in  common  with  all  other 
business  interests,  are  destined  at  times  to  suffer. 
Railway  property  will,  however,  advance  in  value 
with  the  growth  and  increase  of  business  in  the 
state ;  while  it  will  also  tend  to  foster  industry  and 
stimulate  production  in  every  department  of  labor, 
beyond  any  other  species  of  investment. 

It  is  in  vain  to  expect  to  retain  the  natural  increase 
of  our  population  without  holding  out  inducements 
for  labor  beyond  what  are  offered  by  the  pursuits  of 
agricidture  and  lumbering;  and  we  have  failed  so  far 
to  attract  to  this  state  the  most  valuable  class  of 
immigrants,  that  seek  for  a  climate  and  soil  similar  to 
those  of  Germany  and  Switzerland,  which  resembles 
our  own.  If  proper  encouragement  was  held  out  to 
them,  we  might  expect  emigrants  from  the  north  of 
Europe  to  prefer  the  soil  and  clhnate  of  Maine  to 
those  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  Instead  of  this,  for  a 
series  of  years  w^e  have  been  compelled  to  witness 
the  gradual  withdrawal  of  much  of  our  capital  into 
enterj_)rises  of  other  states,  an  '  a  departure  from 
among  us  of  many  of  the  most  enterprising  of  ^he 
young  men  of  Maine.  Real  estate  has  advanced  but 
moderately  in  value  for  the  last  fifteen  years,  while 
the  new  states  have  grown  up  within  that  brief 
period  into  wealth  and  importance.  Our  frontier 
position,  and  the  want  of  a  proper  state  pride  and  a 
state  policy,  have  been  pointed  out  as  the  principal 
hindrances  to  the  growth  of  Maine.  The  opening  of 
the  great  a\  enues  already  in  progress  and  proposed, 


SHORTENING  TIME  OF  PASSAGE. 


placing  Maine  in  the  direct  liiie  of  the  gi'eat  commer- 
cial intercourse  of  the  globe,  will  create  new  relations 
in  every  department  of  business,  and  call  into  exercise 
such  agencies  as  will  soon  give  to  Maine  a  strength 
and  a  position  equal  to  that  of  any  portion  of  the 
Union. 

The  present  period  seems  to  ns  favorable  for  the 
proposed  movement.  An  experiment  is  now  making 
to  run  steamships  from  Galway  to  Halifax,  aided 
by  the  Grea"^  Midland  Kailway  Company  of  Ireland. 
The  capital  of  this  company  is  £2,596,666,  or  more 
than  12,000,000  of  dollars. 

"'his  company  has  a  direct  interest  to  jubserve  by 
inviting  the  travel  between  this  country  and  Europe 
upon  its  road.  The  same  is  true  also  of  the  Chester 
and  Holyhead  and  the  TiOiulon  and  Northwestern  Rail- 
way Companies.  These  companies,  with  their  various 
branch  lines  —  under  one  management  —  embrace 
nearly  one  eighth  of  the  entire  traffic  of  the  United 
Kingdom.  The  London  and  Northwestern  Railway 
Company,  August  !,  1849,  owned  478|^  miles  of  road 
already  finished — built  at  a  cost  of  £30,617,620,  or 
$150,000,000— 60f  miles  more  in  progress,  and  held 
the  leases  of  over  200  miles  more — including  the 
Chester  and  Holyhead  Railway,  representing  a  capi- 
tal of  at  least  200,000,000  of  dollars.  Amid  all  the 
depressions  of  railway  stocks  and  business,  for  the 
past  few  years  in  England,  the  stock  of  this  company 
has  never  been  sold  except  above  par ;  and  by  the 
recent  advices  i'rom  Europe,  was  selling  at  an 
advance.  The  influence  of  this  capital  ^vill  be 
brought  at  once,  in  aid  of  any  line  that  shall  bring 


5il 


170        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONA  r  RAIL  WA  V. 


I    : 


across  Irelnnd  to  Dul)]ii.\  the  trii\  A  ot  tliis  continent. 
The  same  motive  which  ijaduced  the  British  Gov- 
ernment to  aid  the  constnatrtiou  of  the  Britannia 
Bridge, — to  obtain  the  m(.)st  direct  route  from  Lon- 
don to  Ireland, — will  letid  them  to  favor  the  plan 
herein   j)roposed. 

Believing,  therefore,  that  the  state  has  only  to 
display  to  the  business  community  the  pi'acticability 
and  advantages  of  this  great  route  through  Maine,  to 
insure  at  the  proj)«?i  ime  its  completion,  ^ve  respect- 
iiMy  ask  your  honorable  body  to  cause  the  line  from 
Bangor  ^i  8t.  John  to  be  surveyed  at  the  ex[)ense  of 
the  state,  and  such  farther  measures  adopted  as  will 
give  proper  encotiragement  to  the  undertaking. 

June  12,  1850. 

State  of  Maine. 
House  of  Represen  patives,  /tine  15,  1850. 
Ordered,  That  500  copies  of  the  foregoing  petition  be  printed 
for  the  use  of  the  Legislature. 

The  printed  copies  of  this  petition  and  map  reached 
the  Provinces  of  New  Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia 
by  a  most  fortunate  concurrence  of  circumstances, 
through  the  agency  of  A.  C.  Morton,  Es(i.,  the  dis- 
tinguished engineer  of  the  Portland  and  Montreal 
Railroad,  at  or  about  the  time  of  the  receipt  of  the 
following  despatch  of  Eai'l  Grey,  Colonial  Secretary, 
which  negatived  forever  the  request  for  government 
assistance  to  the  Quebec  and  Halifax  Railway. 

Dov/NING  Street,  Jtine  19,  1850. 

Sir  : — I  have  to  acknowledge  your  dispatch  No.  168,  of  the 
2d  ult.,  enclosing  a  resolution  of  the  Legislative  Council,  that 


SHORTENING  TIME  OF  PASSAGE. 


171 


an  address  be  presented  to  yourself,  requesting  you  again  to 
call  the  attention  of  her  Majesty's  government  to  the  subject 
of  the  proposed  railway  from  Halifax  to  Quebec. 

Her  Majesty's  government  have  not  failed  to  give  their  best 
attention  to  a  subject  in  which  5-0  deep  an  interest  is  taken  by 
the  inhabitants  of  Nova  Scotia.  But  I  am  bound  to  state, 
that  they  are  not  prepared  to  submit  to  Parliament  any 
measure  for  raising  the  funds  necessary  for  its  construction, 
considering  the  great  amount  and  pressure  of  the  exigencies 
which  continue  to  weigh  on  the  Imperial  treasury. 

[Signed]  I  have,  &c.,  &c., 

Grey. 

Lieut.-Governoi  Sir  John  Harvey,  &c. 


The  receipt  of  tlie  plan  for  the  proposed  railway 
through  the  Provinces  and  Maine,  followed  by  the 
despatch  of  Earl  Grey,  aroused  ai;  once  to  the  high- 
est pitch  of  excitement  the  peo2)le  of  the  lower 
British  Provinces  in  favor  of  the  scheme,  and  awak- 
ened a  corresponding  feeling  in  the  minds  of  the 
citizens  of  Quebec.  The  plan  of  a  convention  at 
Portland,  Maine,  to  consider  the  various  schemes 
which  had  been  proposed  to  conrect  the  upper  and 
lower  British  Pro\inces  by  raih 'ay.  was  at  once 
agreed  upon,  and  the  necessary  measures  put  in 
progress  toward  its  accomplishment. 

An  invitation  in  the  form  of  a  circular  was  issued 
by  a  connnittee  of  the  citizens  of  Portland,  addressed 
to  the  Governor,  the  Council,  and  the  Legislature  of 
Maine,  the  railroad  companies,  and  friends  of  jniblic 
improvement  throughout  tlie  United  States  and  the 
several  British  Provinces.  The  ])urp()se9  of  said 
convention  were  set  forth  in  the  circular  of  said 
committee,  as  follows: 


lit. 


"^   ' 

'111  rs 

'■'  'it 

H 

•  ' 

'T^ 

1 7  2        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 


f  ■ 


CIRCULAR. 

Tlie  plan  of  extending  \  line  of  railway  through 
the  State  of  Maine  to  the  lower  British  Provinces, 
and  to  some  good  harbor  on  the  eastern  coast  of 
Nova  Scotia  has  long  been  regarded  as  a  measure 
of  the  highest  importance  to  the  commercial  interests 
of  this  continent  and  Europe.  Events  which  have 
occurred  on  this  side  the  Atlantic  within  the  last  few 
years,  in  the  British  Provinces  and  the  United  States, 
have  led  the  most  discerning  minds  of  both  countries 
to  concur  in  the  belief  that  the  time  is  rapidly  ap- 
proaching, if  not  already  arrived,  when  an  effort 
should  be  made,  by  all  parties  interested  in  such 
a  result,  towards  its  consummation. 

The  region  of  this  continent  lying  to  the  East  of 
Lake  Champlain  and  the  Hudson  River,  and  be- 
tween the  river  and  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  and 
the  Atlantic  Ocean, — in  reference  to  its  geological 
features,  its  topographical  and  physical  geogra[  ihy, — 
presents  many  striking  characteristics,  inviting  the 
attention  of  the  naturalist  and  the  scientific  inquirer. 
Its  soil,  climate,  and  commercial  advantages  indicate 
that  it  possesses  the  greatest  natural  advantages  for 
the  development  of  the  highest  physical  and  social 
condition  of  man,  and  point  it  out  as  the  future  abode 
of  the  most  enterprising  portion  of  the  race. 

This  region  of  country,  from  the  circumstances  of 
its  early  settlement  and  the  political  changes  it  has 
undergone,  has  witnessed  the  most  exciting  scenes  in 
the  history  of  this  continent,  has  been  the  theatre  of 
the  fierce  contests  of  different  races,  and  shared  in  all 


b    X: 


SHORTENING  TIME  OF  PASSAGE. 


173 


the  eventful  changes  with  which  for  more  than  two 
centuries  the  nations  of  Europe  have  been  disturbed. 

The  final  predominance  of  the  English  race  through- 
out this  region  had  scarcely  become  established,  when 
new  relations  awakened  an  equally  embittered  hos- 
tility between  England  and  her  former  subjects, 
leading  both  countries  into  bloody  and  desti'uctive 
wars. 

The  spirit  of  peace  has  at  last  prevailed — national 
animosities,  sectional  and  political  hostility,  have  dis- 
appeared between  the  English  races  since  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  boundaries  of  Maine  and  Oregon, 
and  the  contests  of  w^ar  have  been  succeeded  by 
a  noble  and  generous  rivalry  for  the  promotion  of 
the  arts  of  peace. 

The  introduction  of  the  steamship  and  the  railway 
has  made  former  enemies  friends,  and  the  citizens  of 
Montreal  and  Portland,  of  Halifax  and  Boston,  of  St. 
John  and  New  York,  are  to  all  intents  and  purposes 
one  people,  speaking  a  common  language  and  strug- 
gling for  the  same  destin}^  National  hostility  has 
given  way  to  commercial  and  social  intercourse,  and 
under  whatever  form  of  government  they  may  here- 
after exist,  they  can  never  again  become  hostile  or 
unfriendly. 

An  effort  is  now  made  to  increase  the  means  of 
communication  between  different  parts  of  this  ex- 
tended region.  In  aid  of  this  purpose,  a  convention 
is  to  be  held  at  Portland,  on  the  31st  of  July  instant, 
at  eleven  of  the  clock  in  the  forenoon,  at  the  City 
Hall,  at  which  time  and  place  it  is  proposed  to  con- 
sider tht  various  schemes  which  have  been  proposed 


,*;■■' 


.i\ 


Pf 


^74 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


for  tlie  aocoinplisliinent  of  tliia  result.  Tlie  im- 
mediate ()l)ject  of  this  convention  is  to  agree  upon 
the  most  feasi])le  ]>lan  for  pi-olongiiig  the  line  of  rail- 
way from  the  state  of  Maine  to  the  lo\ver  Britisli 
Provinces,  to  some  good  harbor  beat  fitted  to  ]>ecome 
the  entrepot  and  terminus  for  the  most  dii'ect  line 
of  Transatlantic  navigation,  and  form  a  connection 
by  railway  ])et\veen  the  upper  and  lower  British 
Provinces  tlirouofh  the  state  of  Maine. 

Sucli  a  line  of  railway  extended  from  New  York 
and  Montreal  to  a  point  of  connection  in  IVIaine,  and 
from  thence  to  Halifax,  would  undoubtedly  prove 
the  most  popular  and  most  fre([uented  high  way  for 
all  travellers  between  Europe  and  America,  and  a 
i^reat  thoroujj^hfare  both  for  the  old  and  new  world. 
The  Atlantic  can  br  most  readily  crossed  from  the 
eastei'U  coast  of  No\a  Scotia  to  tht^  western  coast  of 
Ireland,  thence  by  laihvay  to  I)ul)lin,  and  by  steam 
to  Holyhead,  whence  the  Menai  Strait  is  crossed  by 
the  Britannia  Tubuhu-  Bridge,  and  so  to  London  ov 
Liverpool,  or  any  part  t)f  Great  Britain  or  the  conti- 
nent of  Europe.  One  great  central  line  for  European 
comnuinication  once  laid  do\^Ti,  into  whicli  the  various 
branch  lines  could  enter  on  either  side  as  recpiired, 
connected  also  by  lines  of  railway  willi  Montreal  and 
Quebec,  Avould  secure  :.  system  of  railways  surpass- 
ing in  value  and  impoi-tance  any  that  has  yet  been 
proposed. 

We  are  encouraged  to  believe  that  the  completion 
of  this  great  work  can  l3e  secured  within  a  reasonable 
time,  without  withdrawing  any  portion  of  the  means 


SIIOR  TENIA' G  TIME  OF  PASSAGE. 


175 


of  the  people  nloiig  tlio  line,  Avanted  l^y  tliem  for  tlie 
ordinary  ])iu'poses  of  l)Usiness.  A  liberal  ;j^rant  of 
pul)lic  lands,  and  of  pidjlic  credit,  from  Nova  Scotin, 
New  Brunswick,  and  Canada,  e([iial  to  that  tendered 
in  aid  of  the  Quebec  and  Halifax  Kailway,  with 
8uita])le  compensation  from  the  British  and  Ameri- 
can jj^overnments  for  the  carrying  <»f  the  mails,  will, 
we  believe,  at  once  invite  into  it  private  caj)ital  from 
Plui'ope  and  the  commercial  interests  (»f  this  country 
fully  ade(piate  to  its  eai'ly  completion. 

But  whatever  may  be  the  pecuniary  merits  of  the 
enterprise,  it  has  social  and  commercial  relations  of 
the  most  delicate  and  patriotic  character.  Whatever 
shall  tend  to  allay  national  prejudice,  and  harmonize 
national  differences,  contributes  to  advance  the  high- 
est interests  of  humanity,  and  promote  the  welfare 
of  the  race. 

The  most  sublime  spectacle  which  the  history  of 
the  world  has  CN'er  disclosed,  is  being  enacted  in  our 
day  by  the  advancement  of  the  English  race  towards 
universal  supremacy, — a  supremacy  not  maintained 
by  tyranny  or  force,  but  resting  upon  the  solid  foun- 
dations of  intellectual  superiority — a  love  of  freedom 
and  of  social  order.  Regardless  of  artificial  lines  of 
demarkation,  or  of  the  politi<'al  divisions  of  this  con- 
tinent, we  desire  that  intercourse  between  those  who 
speak  a  commcm  language,  and  are  striving  for  the 
same  destiny,  shall  be  as  free  as  the  thoughts  of  the 
mighty  race  who  have  become  the  mastei'S  of  the 
world. 

Portland,  yuly  13,  1850. 


:i-4.  - 


,'-\ 


if 

1. 1;  '■* 


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iljyllt 

'{■' 

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^•■^ 

1   , 

THE  NORTHEASTERN  BOUNDARY. 

REPORT   OF  THE   SELECT   COMMITTEE   OF  THE  HOUSE   OP 

REPRESENTATIVES. 

Subjects  of  the  gravest  character  are  necessarily 
involved  in  the  resolutions  and  other  legislative 
proceedings  of  the  state  of  Maine  submitted  to  the 
committee  ;  calling  for  inquiry  into  systems  of  mili- 
tary defence,  the  value  of  railways  as  a  means  of 
attack  and  defence  in  time  of  war,  and  a  careful 
consideration  of  the  force  of  national  obligation 
and  of  public  faith  growing  out  of  the  complex 
relations  of  federal  and  state  governments  under 
our  national  Constitution.  With  every  desire  to 
present  the  matters  referred  to  them  intelligently  to 
Congress,  the  committee  have  sought  to  abridge  into 
the  narrowest  limits  possible  the  statements  of  fact 
and  of  argument  which  have  iniluenced  their  judg- 
ment in  reaching  the  conclusion  that  the  general 
government  should  co-operate  with  Maine  in  its 
efforts  to  provide  defences  for  the  northeastern 
frontier. 

The  northeastern  boundary  dispute  has  been  one 
of  the  most  embarrassing  subjects  of  American 
diplomacy,  and  has  filled  a  large  space  in  the  public 
discussions  and  in  the  annals  of  the  State  Depart- 

176 


l^- 


NOR  THE  A  S  TERN  BO  UNDAR  V. 


•77 


ment,  moivi  so,  perlia])s,  than  any  other  piihlic  (jiies- 
tion  since  tlie  foiuuhition  of  the  government.  It 
will  always  forcibly  recur  to  the  thoughts  of  pul)lic 
men  and  to  the  minds  of  our  people  on  the  sugges- 
tion of  a  possibility  of  a  disturbance  of  our  friendly 
relations  with  Great  Britain.  The  [)olitical  dis- 
closures of  the  last  twenty  years,  the  gradual  modi- 
fication of  the  colonial  policy  of  England,  and  the 
increasing  intimacy  of  the  people  on  each  side  of 
the  line  along  the  eastern  and  the  noi'thern  border, 
enable  us  the  better  to  understand  the  motives  of 
England  in  seizing  upon  that  northeastern  section  of 
the  Union.  The  possession  of  this  territoiy^  afforded 
her  the  means  of  comnuinication  between  her  upper 
and  lower  provinces  in  the  war  of  1812-15,  and  she 
held  it  with  unyielding  pertinacitj^,  menacing  a  war, 
until  she  induced  our  government  to  acquire  the 
consent  of  Maine,  and  to  surrender  a  military  route 
through  the  valley  of  the  liver  St.  John,  and  yield 
up  to  her  this  key  to  her  Noiili  American  posses- 
sions. 

Maine  held  this  territory  by  an  unquestioned  title. 
Without  her  consent  there  was  no  power  to  agree 
on  a  conventional  line  of  boundaiy  which  should 
secure  to  Great  Britain  this  greatly  coveted  advan- 
tage. Such  was  the  explicit  statement  of  our  gov- 
ernment in  all  its  negotiations  with  Great  Britain, 
asserted  by  lion.  Edward  Livingston,  Secretary  of 
State  in  General  Jackson's  admiiistration,  in  his 
despatch  of  July  21,  1832,  to  Charles  Bankhead ; 
and  by  Hon.  Mr.  Forsyth,  and  others,  from  the  time 
of  the  failure  of  the  award   of   the   King  of   the 


. -.i  i 


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1 78        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  Jf'A  Y. 


Netherlands,  to  the  conchision  of  the  treaty  of 
Washington,  August  9,  1842.  The  facts,  there Foiv, 
set  forth  in  the  preamble  to  the  resolutions  of  Maine, 
of  March  25,  18()4,  in  the  words  following,  to  wit: 
"Whereas  it  is  made  the  duty  of  the  federal  govern- 
ment, under  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
to  protect  and  preserve  the  integrity  of  tin;  Union, 
and  defend  each  state  in  the  maintenance  of  its 
sovereignty  over  its  havful  territory;  and  whereas 
the  original  boundary  of  JVIaine  extended  northward 
to  the  dividing  ridge  that  separates  the  St.  Lawi'ence 
waters  from  those  of  the  St.  John  Iliver,  the  title  to 
which  was  clear  and  unquestionaljle  ;  and  whereas 
the  United  States  government  neLclected  and  J'efused 
to  maintain  and  enforce  the  I'ight  of  this  state  to 
the  upper  basin  of  the  St.  John  Iliver,  permitting 
British  troops  to  march  across  said  territory  in  the 
war  of  1812,  and  at  the  time  of  the  Canadian  I'ebel- 
lion  in  1837,  and  after^vards  to  hold  military  pos- 
session of  the  country ;  and  whereas  the  state  of 
Maine,  in  1838  and  1839,  attem[)ted  to  repossess 
herself  of  her  lawful  territory,  and  to  protect  her 
soil  from  spoliation  by  Provincial  trespassers; 
and  whereas  the  United  States  goverament  inter- 
posed its  paramount  authority,  calling  upon  Maine 
to  withdi'aw  all  armed  forces  detailed  for  the  pro- 
tection of  its  ten'itoiy,  and  assumed  the  duty  and 
insisted  on  its  right  to  exclusive  control  over  all 
matters  of  needful  defence  of  the  same ;  and  whereas 
this  duty  of  defending  the  territory  of  Maine  was 
so  imperfectly  performed  by  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment, that  the  territoiy  was  stripped  of  its  most 


NOR TH EASTERN  BO UNDAR  Y. 


»79 


gov- 
most 


valu<'i])le  timber  before  Muine  could  get  possession 
of  wliut  remained  to  lier  after  tlie  ratification  of  the 
treaty  of  Washington,  wliereby  a  just  and  valid 
chiim  now  exists  against  tlie  general  government 
which  has  been  j)ractically  recognized  by  the  federal 
authorities  at  Washington,"  cannot  be  called  iu 
question. 

The  matters  involved  in  that  controversy  have 
often  been  presented,  but  their  importance  cimld 
not  be  realized  at  the  time,  and  cannot  be  measured 
now  without  estimating  the  value  of  our  institutions 
and  forms  of  government  in  contrast  with  those  of 
that  nationality  that  now  divides  and  holds  dominion 
with  us  upon  the  continent  of  North  America ;  and 
comprehending  in  some  adequate  measure  the  future 
of  the  race  under  tvt^o  independent  governments 
speaking  a  common  language  and  striving  for  the 
same  objects  and  the  same  destiny  upon  this  broad 
theatre  of  the  New  World. 

Vast  as  is  our  present  national  domain,  it  is  less 
in  extent  than  that  of  the  colonial  empire  of  Great 
Britain  under  the  government  of  her  North  Amer- 
ican Provinces,  and  that  empire  is  in  possession  of 
such  elements  of  strength  as  might  lead  her  people 
to  aspire  to  supremacy  upon  the  continent,  had  they 
commercial  advantages  such  as  would  be  secured  to 
them  by  the  possession  of  the  sea-coast  of  Maine. 
This  sea-coast  was  the  chief  object,  as  it  was  also 
the  principal  theatre,  of  the  terrific  struggles  h^- 
tween  France  and  England  from  the  first  occupation 
of  the  country  by  the  European  races,  till  its  final  sur- 
render to  Great  Britain  at  the  close  of  the  French  war. 


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I  So       F/HS  T  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IV A  Y. 

Waiving,  for  the  present,  all  discussion  us  to  the 
comparative  advantages  of  the  two  systems  of  gov- 
ernment now  brought  prominently  into  contrast  by 
the  expansion  of  the  colonial  empire  of  Great 
Britain  in  North  America,  and  looking  only  at  the 
chances  of  war,  we  must  estimate  the  importance  of 
the  question  before  us,  in  view  of  our  exposure  to 
danger  by  the  wresting  from  us  of  a  further  section 
of  the  eastern  frontier — aifoi'ding  thereby,  as  it 
would,  increased  means  of  offence  to  an  enemy,  and 
diminishing  our  own  strength,  in  the  event  of  a 
European  war.  All  exteraal  dangers  to  our  country 
— all  dangers  arising  from  the  possible  diminution 
of  our  territory — ^lie  at  the  east  and  north,  along  our 
eastern  and  northern  frontiei's.  An  tneray  might 
burn  and  destroy  the  cities  and  ii'/ns  of  the  sea- 
board in  the  Central  and  Southern  States  for  the  pur- 
pose of  inflicting  injury,  as  done,  to  some  extent,  in 
the  war  with  England  in  1812-15,  but  no  one  would 
think  of  penetrating  very  far  into  the  interior  of  the 
country.  No  foreign  power  will  ever  wage  war  on 
us  for  the  conquest  of  the  heart  or  central  portions 
of  the  country.  The  eastern  seaboard,  the  northern 
lakes,  and  portions  of  the  Pacific  States,  would  be 
seized  upon  as  worthy  objects  of  conquest.  The 
possession  of  thesey  or  either  of  them,  would  give 
strength  to  our  northern  neighbor,  whether  the 
country  continued  under  the  dominion  of  England 
or  were  transferred  to  France. 

A  war  between  France  and  England  would, 
naturally  lead  to  a  struggle  for  the  control  of 
Canada;  and  in  the  event  of  a  war  between  the 


NORTHEASTERN  BOUNDARY. 


i«i 


United  States  and  Gi'eat  Britain,  Maine,  all  British 
North  America,  and  the  entire  frontier  from  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Croix  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  would 
be  directly  involved  in  the  struggle. 

The  upper  or  interior  provinces  of  Great  Britain, 
originally  belonging  to  France,  with  over  a  third  of 
the  present  population  of  Fi'ench  origin,  speaking 
their  original  language,  and  inheriting  all  the 
prejudices  of  their  race,  are  situated,  in  reference  to 
the  commerce  of  the  Avorld,  like  the  empire  of 
Russia,  dependent  on  the  frozen  Baltic  or  the 
narrow  confines  of  the  Black  Sea.  These  British 
Provinces  form  a  vast  empire  at  the  north  of  our 
boundar^'^,  extending  across  the  breadth  of  the  con- 
tinent. Shut  up  in  winter  from  active  participation 
in  the  traffic  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  the  great  theatre 
of  the  commerce  of  our  day,  it  was  long  since  per- 
ceived that  they  must  have  better  access  to  the  sea 
than  is  afforded  by  the  natural  outlets  of  the 
countiy.  The  merchants  of  Montreal  had  long 
realized  this  necessity,  and  they  naturally  fell  iu 
with  the  views  of  their  neighbors  in  Maine  in  1844, 
and  embarked  their  means  in  a  common  enterprise — 
a  railway  from  Montreal  to  Portland.  This  railway 
has  given  Canada  an  open  seaport,  inviting  thither, 
by  means  of  this  new  avenue  to  the  St.  Lawrence, 
the  capital  and  trade  of  British  North  America. 
Portland  is  made  the  winter  port  of  Canada,  and  the 
packet  station,  for  twenty-four  weeks  of  the  year,  of 
its  lines  of  ocean  steamers. 

This  line  of  railway  is  as  important  in  its  military 
aspects  as  in  its  commercial  bearings;  yet  it  had 


f  --in 


y 


p^ 


182 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IVA  V. 


neve"  entered  into  tbe  military  calculations  of  our 
government  till  attention  was  called  to  it  by  the 
authorities  of  Maine.  All  former  plans  of  the  War 
Office  and  of  the  Engineer  Bureau  were  based  on 
the  idea  that  the  route  by  the  valley  of  Lake 
Champlain  was  the  only  one  between  the  8t. 
Lawrence  and  the  seaboard  till  the  valley  of  the 
Kennebec  was  reached;  while  the  prescience  and 
forecast  of  commerce  connected  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  the  Atlantic  seaboard,  in  a  favorable  latitude, 
at  the  ^Kjints  where  the  navigable  waters  of  each 
apj)roach  nearest — Montreal  and  Portland.  One  of 
the  boldest  and  most  successful  of  the  commercial 
enterprises  of  modern  times  was  the  construction  of 
this  line  of  railway,  with  its  extension  across  the 
Victoria  Bridge  at  Montreal,  and  to  the  foot  of  Lake 
Huron,  affording  an  uninterrupted  line  of  railway,  of 
uniform  gauge,  for  the  transit  and  transfer  of  freight, 
without  change  of  cars,  from  all  the  lake  ports  fiom 
Sarnia  to  Montreal,  into  ocean  steamers  and  sailing 
vessels  at  Portland  harbor. 

This  magnificent  river  of  commerce,  though  but  a 
few  years  in  operation,  has  already  influenced  the 
direction  of  businesis,  if  not  chaniyed  the  course  of 
trade.  Western  produce,  destined  to  Boston  and 
other  eastern  New  England  ports,  comes,  to  some 
extent,  already,  by  way  of  Portland,  over  the  Grand 
Trunk  Railway,  while  Eastern  Maine,  and  the  lower 
provinces  look  more  and  more  to  this  route  every 
year  for  their  supplies.  Montreal  is  commercially 
situated,  in  reference  to  Portland,  as  Albany  and 
Buffalo  are  to  New  York  City,  or  Paris  to  Havre,  in 


NOR  THEASTERN  BO UNDAR  Y. 


183 


France.  With  the  growth  of  tlie  Northwest,  and  the 
development  of  the  lake  trade,  this  comparison  will 
be  the  more  striking,  for  at  this  point  on  the  St. 
Lawrence,  during  the  season  of  navigation,  the  trans- 
fer of  goods  from  sail-boats  to  sea-going  vessels  is 
effected.  Hence,  Portland  and  Montreal  will  natu- 
rally seek  one  commercial  law  for  themselv^es,  if  not 
ft)r  the  entire  English-speaking  and  English-governed 
peojtle  of  the  continent.  The  commerce  of  these 
two  cities  has  been  rapidly  developed  by  the  rail- 
way. The  import  trade  of  Montreal  increased  from 
$9,245,884  in  1852,  to  $20,529,893  in  1862.  Her 
exports  were  $2,119,228  in  1851,  and  $10,415,738  in 
1801.  The  foreign  imports  into  Portland  in  1849 
were  $498,340.  In  1803  they  amounted  to  $9,034,- 
520,  including  $8,419,005  passing  into  Canada,  with- 
out the  payment  of  duties.  The  exports  of  Poiiland 
to  foreign  countries  were  valued  at  $643,529  in 
1849;  in  1803  they  reached  a  valuation  of  $5,018,- 
356.  These  recent  triumphs  of  the  arts  of  pea'^e, 
disclosing  more  distinctly  the  natural  relations  of 
the  two  countries,  must  influence  the  action  of  our 
national  government — called  upon  to  meet  the  new 
necessities  which  the  experience  of  the  hour  and  the 
civilization  of  the  aije  call  forth. 

While  extending  national  dominion,  by  the  rapid 
expansion  of  our  population,  wealth,  and  material 
power,  on  each  side  of  the  continent,  on  the  north 
and  east  by  the  surer  conquest  of  the  arts  of  peace, 
and  the  more  intimate  relations  of  commerce  and 
trade,  unmindful  of  political  dangers  at  home,  the 
people  of  the  Northern  States  are  summoned  to  new 


r?. 


|.:l!v 


*'■  '('.'3 


m 


1 84        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


f1 


duties  by  tlie  ntirring  scenes  of  civil  war.  Called  to 
meet  this  new  order  of  events,  it  is  tlieir  duty  to  con- 
template the  certainties  of  the  future.  The  future 
tliat  lies  before  us  is  not  that  golden  age  anticipated 
and  heretofore  pi'edicted  by  a  hopeful  view  of 
past  history.  Our  golden  age  is  i)ast.  The  future 
of  our  goveraiuent  must  be  one  of  stern  responsi- 
bility, in  view  of  the  ticcumulated  experience  and 
burden  of  this  hour  of  trial. 

Our  nation  must  soon  be  called  upon  to  take  the 
responsibilities  of  a  great  military  and  conunercial 
power  among  the  nations — duties  lieretofore  un- 
known to  American  statesmanship — instead  of  yield- 
ing a  blind  submission  to  manifest  destiny — a  half- 
fonned  trust  in  accident  and  Providence. 

British  North  America,  holding  the  chief  command 
of  the  North  American  fisheries,  and  all  the  out- 
ports  of  the  continent  east  of  the  St.  Croix,  has 
to-day  an  extent  of  territory  greatei"  than  was  ever 
included  in  the  boundaries  of  the  American  Union ; 
and  though  its  frontier  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and 
the  northern  seas  above  the  St.  Lawrence  is  of  com- 
paratively little  value  for  settlement,  the  eastern 
districts  are  full  of  all  the  elements  of  wealth ;  and 
the  vast  interior  above  our  northern  border,  includ- 
ing the  Pacific  slope  and  the  region  drained  by  the 
rivers  of  the  north,  contains  more  arable  wheat- 
growing  laud  than  the  entire  region  of  the  United 
States  lying  between  the  Missouri  River  and  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  This  country  is  destined,  in  time,  to 
sustain  a  population  as  dense  as  that  inhabiting 
the    same   latitudes   on   the   eastern    continent,   in 


NOR  THE  A  STERN  HO  UNBAR  Y. 


Noi-tbern  Europe  and  Asiji,  juhI  could  sustain  a 
2)opulation  as  great  as  that  now  under  tl>e  do- 
minion of  the  government  of  Russia.  Wheat  is 
raised  over  a  bieadtli  of  more  tlian  ek^ven  degrees 
of  latitude  north  of  the  forty-ninth  parallel,  and 
Indian  corn  can  be  grown  north  of  the  forty-ninth 
2>arallel  of  north  latitude,  over  the  vast  and  well- 
watered  table-land  plains  of  the  Northwest. 

Dividing  with  us  the  empire  of  the  great  lakes ; 
holding  the  outlet  of  that  vast  mediterranean  sea, 
the  St.  Lawrence,  from  the  f(»rty -fifth  i»arallel  to  the 
ocean,  they  can  control  the  trade  and  transportation 
of  all  the  Northwest,  competing  with  us  for  the  trade 
of  the  entire  lake  basin.  Ships  of  a  size  capable  of 
navigating  the  ocean  can  pass  through  the  canals  to 
Chicago  and  Superior  City  ;  and  there  in  no  reason 
to  doubt  that  railroads  and  canals  will  yet  connect 
Lake  Superior  with  Lake  Winnipeg,  and  the  750 
miles  of  the  navigalde  waters  of  the  Saskatchewan 
send  its  traffic  through  this  route  to  the  Atlantic. 
There  are  those  far-seeing  enough  to  predict  that  in 
time,  through  these  great  watercourses  of  the  North- 
west, by  connecting  Frazer's  River  with  the  Sas- 
kjitchewan  River  by  canal,  goods  may  be  water- 
borne  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Pacific  seas. 

British  statesmanship,  if  not  British  dii)lomacy, 
has  for  the  last  fifty  years  concerned  itself  mainly 
with  c[uestions  of  colonial  empire.  The  war  of  1812 
revealed  the  weakness  of  her  North  American  pos- 
sessions, and  confii-med  the  opinion  of  King  George 
the  Third,  who  objected  to  the  St.  Croix  in  17S.3,  and 
insisted  on  the  Piscataqua  as  the  boundary ;  England 


■f  .■ 


flpp 


i: 


I 


1 86        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  \VA  V. 


agreed  to  a  peace,  as  she  saw  our  government 
ffutlierlnu:  streni^th  for  a  continuance  of  tlie  strus^i^le. 
Maine  j)enetrates  like  a  wedge  from  the  Atlantic 
seaboard  to  within  almost  cannon-sliot  distance  of 
the  St.  Lawrence,  practically  severing  the  comnuini- 
cation  between  the  upper  and  lower  British  Prov- 
inces. The  only  route  between  them,  from  the 
harbor  of  Halifax,  her  great  naval  station  on  the 
continent,  to  Quebec,  the  military  fortress  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  was  across  the  territoiy  of  Maine,  through 
the  valley  of  the  St.  John.  Troops  were  landed  at 
Halifax  in  midwinter,  pushed  through  to  Canada  by 
this  route,  enabling  her  to  strike  our  foi'ces  on  the 
northern  fi-ontier,  with  her  glazed  veterans  from 
the  battle-fields  of  Euro[)e,  before  our  forces  in  the 
Northwest  were  aware  of  their  danger.  The  value  of 
the  St.  John  valley  for  military  puiposes  was  then 
fully  undt  'stood  by  her,  and  she  closed  the  war  by 
the  treaty  of  "  ',)eace  and  amity,"  concluded  at  Ghent, 
December  24,  1814.  By  the  2d  article  of  this  treaty 
it  was  agreed  that  every  thing  was  to  be  restored  to 
the  status  ante  helium,  except  certain  islands  which 
were  to  be  made  the  subject  of  examination  and 
future  settlement.  By  this  treaty,  however,  we 
were  completely  overreached  and  outgeneraled. 

Prior  to  this  no  (piestion  was  ever  raised  as  to  the 
boundary  between  New  England  and  the  British 
possessions,  for,  to  use  the  language  of  the  best 
English  geographer,  Professor  Long :  "  No  language 
could  have  been  made  use  of,  with  the  then  existing 
knowledge  of  the  physical  geography  of  the  country, 
more  clearly  establishing  the  right  of  the  United 


St. 


to 
licli 
and 

we 

the 
itish 
best 
Liage 
!tinf]r 

lited 


NOirrnrwiSTERN  boundary. 


187 


States  to  tlie  entire  territory  than  that  enii)h)ye(l  in 
tlie  treaty  of  1783."— (See  Lilirary  of  Useful 
Knowle<lge,  History  of  North  America.) 

Tlie  treaty  of  (ilient,  article  Sth,  provided  for  the 
appointment  of  commissioners  to  run  the  line,  etc. 
It  further  provides  that :  "  If  the  said  conunissioners 
shall  agree,  etc.,  such  decision  shall  be  final  and 
conclusive." 

"And  it  is  further  agreed,  that  in  the  event  -if  the 
two  commissioners  dirfferimj  xjxm  all  or  any  of  the 
matters  no  referred  to  them,  or  in  the  event  of  both  or 
either  of  said  coniniiss toners  refasing  or  declininyj  or 
wilfnlhj  omitting  to  act  as  such,'"  etc.,  "  some  friendly 
sovereign  or  state  to  be  then  named  for  that  ])urpose 
who  shall  decide,"  etc. 

By  this  language  Great  Britain  found  a  chance  to 
escape  from  her  treaty  obligations.  She  set  up  a 
show  of  good  faith  ;  ai)pointed  her  commissioner, 
under  the  5th  article  of  the  treaty^,  to  run  and  mark 
the  boundary  line,  from  the  source  of  the  St.  Croix 
to  the  head  of  the  Connecticut  Kiver ;  api)ointed 
her  conmiissioner  to  determine  the  channel  of  the  St. 
Croix,  as  provided  foriii  the  4th  article  of  the  treaty, 
and  another  connnissioner  to  establish  the  line  in  the 
channel  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  as  requii'ed  in  the 
6th  article  of  the  treaty.  The  two  latter  commis- 
sions were  executed;  one  on  November  24,  1817; 
the  other  on  June  18,  1822. — (See  Statutes  at  Large, 
vol.  8,  pp.  250,  274.) 

But  the  attempt  to  execute  the  commission  for  the 
running  of  the  line,  imder  the  5th  article  of  the 
treaty,  failed.     The  commissioners  were   named   in 


FT 


Pi 


1 88       FIRS T  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  \VA  Y. 

1816.  Our  governiiuiut  ai)p()inted  Mr.  Johnson ;  the 
British  j^overnment  selected  Mr.  Bouchette;  they 
met  at  St.  Andrew's,  Sei)teniber  28,  181(5,  and  tlie 
work  was  undertaken  and  partially  performed  in  the 
years  1817  and  1818.  Mr.  Bouchette  was  removed, 
and  Mr.  Odell,  a  more  pliant  surveyor,  substituted, 
and  under  imperial  itistructions  the  contini^ency 
j)rovided  for  in  the  5th  article  of  the  treaty  of  Ghent 
happened,  by  the  refumloiWvd  British  commissioner 
October  23,  1820,  to  carry  out  the  work;  and  our 
government  was  forced  into  an  agi'eement  for  an 
umi)ire — a  reference  to  a  friendly  sovereign  or  state. 
Such  an  opj)ortunity  for  the  exhibition  of  bad  faith 
was  never  suggested  as  a  possibility  to  the  minds  of 
the  honorable  American  gentlemen  who  negotiated 
the  treaty,  any  more  than  the  thought  that  it  was 
possible  for  Great  Britain  to  demand  in  our  day  the 
surrender  of  the  rebel  emissaries.  Mason  and  Slidell, 
contrary  to  all  her  previous  declarations,  the  uniform 
hereditary  j)olicy  of  her  government ;  or,  what  is  still 
more  I'ecent,  an  apology  from  our  government  for  the 
seizu?  -^  of  the  pirates  of  the  Portland  steamer  CJiesa- 
peahe  in  a  Provincial  harbor. 

Maine  always  comprehended  the  question  and  in- 
sisted on  maintaining  [)ossession  of  the  territory.  The 
state  of  Massachusetts  holding,  at  the  time  of  the 
treaty  of  1783,  jurisdiction  over  the  district  of 
Maine,  granted  the  townships  of  Eaton  and  Ply- 
mouth in  1807  and  1808,  both  lying  north  of  the 
Aroostook  River,  and  within  the  terntory  subse- 
quently brought  iui:o  dispute. 


NOR  THE  AS  TERN  BO  UN  DA  R  Y. 


TS9 


Hon.  Mr.  Stevenson,  writing  to  Lord  Pahnerston 
on  tliis  subject  of  the  Biitish  claim,  under  date  of 
April  21, 1838,  says :  "  It  has  oidy  been  hi  nee  the  treat  ij 
of  IS  14,  (tnd  the  failure  to  ohf  a  in  the  territory  hy  ces- 
sion ami  purchase,  that  the  claim  has  been  set  up," 
etc. — (Parliamentary  Papers  of  1838,  appendix, 
page  80.) 

The  instructions  to  the  commissioners  in  1810 
were  to  run  due  north  till  they  reached  the  waters 
flowing  into  the  St.  Lawrence,  which  carried  the  line 
far  north  of  the  St.  John  River. 

From  the  time  of  her  refusal  to  nm  and  mark  the 
boundary  line,  to  the  ratification  of  the  treaty  of 
Washington,  the  conduct  of  Great  Britain  was  alike 
distinguished  for  the  absence  of  honorable  dealing, 
and  the  abundance  of  expressions  of  her  distin- 
guished consideration.  Our  government  dreaded 
war  on  what  was  esteemed  so  slight  a  pretext  as  the 
lo.-is  of  a  portion  of  our  territoiy;  and  hesitated, 
instead  of  insisting  on  a  choice  of  line,  even  if  the 
ado[)tion  of  such  a  line  should  bring  about  an  inter- 
ruption of  friendly  relations.  Had  they  insisted, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  line  would  have  been  lun 
and  estal)lislied,  and  the  whole  matter  closed,  twenty 
years  earlier,  without  loss  of  territory,  of  honor ;  or 
the  shedding  of  blood. 

The  appointment  of  the  King  of  the  Netherlands, 
under  the  convention  of  September  29,  1827,  as 
arbitrator,  failed  to  settle  the  controversy.  He 
awarded  the  bed  of  a  river,  in  the  execution  of  a 
commission  to  find  the  highlands  separating  the 
waters  that  flowed  in  opposite  directions,  from  the 


?{ 
1 


f^\ 


i.'' 
't'. 


1 90       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  ]VA  V. 


northwest  angle  of  Nova  Scotia  to  the  liead  of  the 
Connecticut  River.  TheabHurdity  of  such  an  award 
served  only  to  excite  ridicule,  and  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States,  by  a  vote  of  35  to  8,  rejected  the 
award,  as  not  responsive  to  the  submission.  But 
Great  Britain  gained  time.  AVhile  agreeing  to 
abstain  from  exercising  jurisdiction  over  the  territoiy, 
she  hesitated  not  to  violate  this  contract.  Sir 
Howard  Douglass,  as  Governor  of  New  Brunswick, 
in  1824,  gave  licenses  to  cut  the  timber,  and  assumed 
jurisdiction  over  land.  Our  government  protested 
against  these  proceedings,  as  extracts  from  public 
docunents  will  show. 

I^^rom  President's  Message,  Decemher^,  1827. 

"  While  these  questions  [boundary,  etc.]  have 
been  pending,  incidents  have  occurred  of  conflicting 
pretensions  and  of  dangerous  character  upon  the 
territory  itself  in  disjiute  between  the  two  nations. 
By  a  common  nnJer standing  between  the  govern- 
ments,  it  was  agreed  that  no  exercise  of  exclusive 
jurisdiction  hy  either  party,  while  the  negotiation  was 
pending,  should  change  the  question  of  right  to  be 
definitely  settled." 

Mr.    Clay,  Secretary  of   State,   to  Mr.    Vaughan, 
British  Minister,  November  17,  1827. 

After  reciting  instances  of  British  jurisdiction  on 
the  Aroostook  River,  Mr.  Clay  concluded  his  note  in 
these  words :  "  The  proceedings  which  it  discloses 
being  incompatible  with  tlie  rights  of  the    United 


NORTHEASTERN  BOUNDARY. 


191 


Statfii*,  nt  vtiriiince  with  tliat  forbcnraiice  and  moder- 
ation wliich,  it  has  heeii  Kudcrstood  hetween  v.9,  were 
to  he  mutmdhj  ohncrvcd,  ami  exhibiting  the  exercise 
of  I'igorous  acts  of  authority  within  the  (lis[)Ute(l 
territory  whieli  coiihl  only  be  justified  ])y  consider- 
ing it  as  constituting  an  incontestable  part  of  the 
British  dominions,  I  have  to  recjuest  such  explana- 
tions as  the  occasion  calls  for."  Subsequently  Maine 
^vas  ousted  of  all  jurisdiction. 


-;  '4*1 


■..;y» 


Mr.    Van  Buren,  Secretanj  of  State,  to   Governor 
Smithy  March  18,  1831. 

"I  am  instnicitil  by  the  President  to  express  his 
desire  that  ^vliile  the  matter  is  under  deliberation, 
no  steps  may  be  taken  by  the  state  of  Maine,  with 
regard  to  the  disputed  teriitory,  wdiich  miglit  b*' 
calculated  to  internipt  or  embarrass  the  action  of 
the  executive  branch  of  this  government  upon  the 
subject." 

Mr.   Livingston,   Secretary  of  State,   to    Governor 
Smith,  October  5,  1831. 

"  In  directing  me  to  make  this  communication,  the 
President  has  instructed  me  to  ask  for  such  informa- 
tion on  the  subject  as  you  may  possess,  and  to  add 
the  expression  of  his  earnest  wish  that  no  measures 
may  be  taken  by  the  state  authorities  that  will 
change  the  state  of  things,  before  the  whole  sub- 
ject can  be  acted  upon  at  the  ensuing  session  of 
Congress." 


\0i 


r/Ksr  ixirKxtrnwu.  A\i/nr.n- 


\i>f<'  io  thr    lirifish    ('/hin//'  JWjDi/ns. 

"  ^^M^  will  oliwMNc  (lio  rxInMiio  ilcsin'  m'  lli<« 
I'lNOiMilivi'  of  (li(<  ll|iilr«l  SlulcM  lo  roiifonn  willi 
sfni[>MlonM  j^ood  fjiilh  f<)  f/i,-  (irfiiih;<  niiiif  niin/t'  >r///i 
tJir  ministd'  <>/'  (tr<<tf  /ir//<iin  Tor  prrscrN  iiii^  lli(« 
sl.'ilo  o(  (liiiisrs  MM  it  (lien  rNistctl  on  l)o(li  hu\oh  nnlil 
ii  liM.'il  »lisj>osilion  r«MiM  l)o  in.'ulo  of  (ho  «[U<'H(i(>ii/' 

(tt^vd'/h^r  Snn'f/i   ti>   Mr.    I.ii'l)hjst(U>,    Xoiuinhcr   10, 

1  s;i  1 . 

"In  your  Inst  i»'I(»m'  I  miu  infoniUMJ  (hnl  nn  Mn'!m<!:<'- 
luout  \v;»s  m.'wK'  with  (iu»  uiinislcr  of  ({rcMJ  Hiilniti 
for  iMH's*^^!!!!;  i\w  stnh'  of  things  jim  it  IIhmj  (vxislcd 
on  ln>tl»  si«los,  until  ;»  tinnl  ilispositi«»n  «'<tuM  lu'  niM«l(< 
of  tlio  (|iiostion.  .'intl  (It.-it  tlio  aiTanu^MncMit  wmm  roni- 
nwmiontt^d  \o  \\\o,  I  run  only  s<}it<\  in  reply,  (luii 
until  your  l;ist  lettiM*  no  ni>(ii'o  of  mucIi  an  jirrnni:: '• 
niont  wMs  (>\  tM'  rr*'('i\  <  (1  1>\  nn\  .'in«l  n«>  cou\  of  it.  cnn 
1h»  found  aniiMii::  tlie  arrliivi's  o'i  this  statt*.  Though 
allusiiMi  is  made  \o  sui-h  an  arranp'UUMit.  in  (he  eor- 
Tvs|HnnUMUv  betweiMi  Mr.  Clay,  fornior  Secretary  of 
State,  anil  \\\\  ]M*etleeessor,  the  late  (Jovenu>r  Lincoln, 
it  was  then  stated  to  liave  been  violatt'd  1)V  the  Hrit- 
ish  authorities.  .  .  .  Purini*:  the  whole  proijress 
of  this  negotiation  M.-iine  has  continued  respivt fully 
but  decidciily  to  ivnionstrate  nuainst  proceed iniLi:H 
directly  involviuij  her  riixhts  and  interests  ns  a  state, 
and  to  which  her  ass<Mit  w.ia  never  reijuested.  Slie 
contends  that  the  United  States  have  not  the  power, 
by  the  federal  Constitution,  to  alienate,  by  negotiii- 


NOh'  /'///•  IS  /'/•/: /\   /lOl'X/i.th'V. 


'91 


{\\)\\  or  «•(  liriwisc,  jiiiy  itoilKtii   of   I  lie   Icriiloty  of  >i 
hI.'iIo  williniil,  llio  coiiMt'iil    (tf    HiM'li   hIiiIp.     MImi    op- 

poHI'd    tllO  MIliltlliMMDill   of  |||(<   tjIM'Mlioll    l<)  MlhilnilJiMI." 

'riMMiHciM'tMiiiiiKMil  of  llic  liiii' of  IxiiiiMl/iry  ill  Mi<^ 
ni.'tniMT  |>iovi<lr(l  fof  ill  iIk;  Imily  of  ((liciit  whm 
oxIiMiiHind  l>y  llin  i-(<tVi-(<nr<>  lo  dm  iirhilrr  nii<l  (lir 
rrjrrlioii  of  liiw  jiunid.  Tlir  only  mode  l<f|,  for 
rMiryiiii^  oiil.  Iln'  Irrjily  whm  (lie  )i|)|ioiiitni)'iil,  of  /i 
new  roiiiiiiiHsioii  mikI  ili<>  iiiiiiiiii^  oiil,  of  ||m>  lino. 
(Ji'cjit  hriljiiM  drcliin-d  IIiIh  (o  Itc  iinpoHHildr  uimI  ho 
|)(<r(iiiiM'ioiiM  w'lH  (ir«<nt  nrilnin  in  iiiHiMlitiK  on  iioid- 
iiij^  on  lo  IIm^  I<'| riloiy,  llml.  oiir  ^ovornmrnl.  wjih 
in<iii('<'(i  l(»  cnlrr  inlo  nri^oliiilion  for'  iln  itiiicliiiH*;.  It 
in  n  soiirc(<  of  iiiorlirK'.'ilion  lo  an  Ani('i-i(;un  <'.if.i/<!n  Ut 
n'.'ul  I  iio  ('on«'S|ioii(iri)«'«i  nrid  lo  (»I»h('Ivi',  IImi  |»;il(,iy 
«|ni)>l>lrH  nnd  niiiy  Hiihl.rrfnL^i'H  l»y  wliifji,  for  yitarn, 
oil!"  govrniiiM'iil.  w.'iM  d«'iiid»'<l  iiihI  l«'d  oil'  from  iJii; 
<|ii(>Hlion  in  iHHiic,  lill  wl  IhmI,  tlm  nnt.liinkin^  iriMHH  of 
tli(^  |)('o|)l(f  of  IIh'  (■(Hinl.iy  ^oI,  tired   of  tlw!  diHpulo, 


wr 


]ind  fnvoTcd  n,  HCiltlnncnt  on  any  IcrriiH.  In  a 
nci^olialioiiM  tlic!  HriliHli  j^oxM'rniiM'iit  l<«'i>(,  tliin  oru? 
idea  in  view  ;  to  \wv  \^\^'  lani^nai^r  <»f  licr  iniiiiHtfr  at 
Wasliinj^don,  Sir  i).  U.  Vaiijrlian,  of  July  4,  IS."..",,  to 
Lord  rainicrHJon :  '■''(h'eat  Jliiliun  rn/unt  cindcnd 
forevcv  for  an,  imJuhrriipfcd  amini.iimioaiion,  hi/  the 
UHHiil  (IihI  ((('('UHUmu'd  rodil  hebnccii,  JIallJ'ax  a7ul 
Quehcry — (Pariiuincntary   PajxuH,   p.   .'»<>.) 

Our  govci'iiUKMit  projtoHod  n(!W  linrjH  of  }>oMndary 
for  tho  Hak<f  of  pcs'Ku;.  It  offt'n'd  to  tn^at  on  <jt}i(!r 
matt(M'H  in  connection.  Tliis  inspired  England  with 
courage,  and  our  national  i^overrini(;nt  finally  listened 
to  proposals  for  ''■a  co7ivertti(mal  liner 


m 


1  .*  ' 


1 94        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 

Maine  wan  offered  one  million  of  acres  of  land  in 
Michigan  by  General  Jackson's  cabinet,  selected  by 
her  and  located  in  a  S(j[uare  foi-ni,  in  case  she  would 
submit  to  the  award  of  the  Dutch  king.  This  offer 
she  declined,  and  by  resolutions  luumimously  adopted, 
called  on  the  federal  government  to  run  and  mark 
the  boundary  line. — (See  Resolutions  of  Maine,  of 
March  25,  1837.)  Great  Britain  renewed  her  de- 
mand for  a  conventional  line.  On  April  28,  1835, 
Mr.  Forsyth,  United  States  Secretary  of  State,  in- 
forms Mr.  Vaughan,  the  British  minister,  "  that  the 
President  does  not  possess  the  poiver  to  estahlish  a  con- 
ventional houndary  without  the  consent  of  the  state 
of  Maine r — (Parliamentary  Papers,  p.  83.) 

Lord  Palnierston,  in  his  reply  of  November  19, 
1837,  daunted  by  nothing,  notices  this  statement  of 
the  rights  of  Maine,  and  combats  it  to  avoid  giving 
an  answer  to  the  direct  proposal  made  by  Mr.  For- 
syth for  a  ne^^'  commission  "  to  trace  out  the  line." 
The  proposal  made  by  our  government,  "  that  a  com- 
mission of  exploration  and  survey  should  be  a[)- 
pointed  for  that  purpose,"  is  evaded  and  finally 
declined.  Lord  Palnierston  proposes  the  removal  of 
"  the  constitutional  difficulties^^  by  "  a  new  agreement 
for  a  conventional  line,"  and  says,  "  it  would  he  in- 
dispensahle  that  the  state  of  Maine  shotdd  he  an 
assenting  partij  to  the  arrangem.ent.'" — (7i.,  p.  98.) 

Maine,  seeing  the  stripping  and  waste  of  her  lands, 
renewed  her  request  )'ear  after  year.  Our  govern- 
ment would  do  nothing.  New  Brunswick,  without 
any  shadow  or  pretence  of  title  to  the  territoiy, 
Ijang,  as  it  did,  west  of  the  due  north  line  from  the 


NORTHEASTERN  BOUNDARY. 


'95 


St.  Croix,  which  had  always  been  the  western  limit 
of  the  territory  of  Nova  Scotia,  and  in  later  times 
of  New  Brunswick,  was  giving  permits  to  cut  the 
timber;  appointed  a  warden  over  it,  and  hesitated 
not  to  grant  titles  to  the  lands. 

Maine  sought  to  protect  the  territory  from  spolia- 
tion by  force  in  1838  and  1839,  and  brought  on 
what  is  known  as  the  Aroostook  war.  The  general 
government  then  interposed  its  paramount  authority, 
and  forced  Maine  to  retire  from  the  territory,  or 
encounter  a  war  with  the  United  States. 

Great  Britain  achieved  lier  object.  She  made 
Maine  the  party  on  one  side,  and  the  government  of 
the  United  States  the  nominal  party  for  her  benefit 
on  the  other,  ready  to  agree  to  any  terms  that  could 
be  extorted  from  Maine. 

Mr.  Webster  found  the  controversy  thus  made  up 
when  he  became  Secretary  of  State  in  1841.  lie 
was  not  inclined  to  regard  it  in  any  other  light  than 
as  one  belonging  to  Maine,  rather  than  one  affecting 
the  highest  interests  and  honor  of  the  nation.  The 
country  demanded  at  his  hands  a  settlement  of  the 
question,  for  which  task  no  one  of  his  predecessors 
had  been  equal.  His  great  power,  and  his  vast  in- 
fluence over  the  minds  of  the  people  of  New  Eng- 
land, alone  enabled  him  to  force  a  settlement  of  the 
dispute.  The  general  government,  during  all  the 
previous  negotiations,  had  declined  to  look  at  its 
merits,  to  demand  a  settlement  on  the  ground  of  title, 
and  to  face  England  on  the  true  issue :  though  the 
Senate  had  declared  the  title  of  Maine  "clear  and 
unquestionable." 


■  •  ''■Ri 


'-■  H 


<  •.J 


/'I 

\3*\ 


i  . 


i 


1: 


r  , 


liii 


i  ■  J 


196 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


Maine,  deserted  by  the  national  administration, 
was  forced  to  yield  to  the  demands  of  power,  or 
wage  war  single-handed  for  her  rights,  not  only 
against  the  British  government  and  her  colonies,  but 
against  the  government  of  the  federal  Union.  She 
was,  in  this  way,  robbed  of  5,012  square  miles 
(3,207,180  acres)  of  territory,  larger  in  extent  than 
the  State  of  Connecticut,  or  rather  forced  to  yield  it ; 
or  dispose  of  it  for  the  paltry  sum  of  $300,000 :  a 
sum  not  one  tenth  the  value  of  the  timber  taken  off 
the  territory  by  Provincial  trespassers. 

Great  Britain  would,  no  doubt,  have  paid  millions 
sterling  for  the  acquisition  of  this  territory,  but  such 
an  idea  as  making  a  bargain  for  money  never  entered 
the  minds  of  the  people  of  Maine.  They  knew  the 
value  of  the  territory  (for  it  was  covered  with  tim- 
ber), its  rich  soil  and  favorable  i)osition  for  purposes 
of  settlement,  and  its  military  importance  to  the 
country,  and  they  scorned  the  idea  of  making  money 
out  of  it  by  a  surrender.  In  the  heated  secret  de- 
bates of  the  Legislature  of  Maine,  on  the  proposal  of 
General  Jackson  to  pay  the  value  of  the  land  taken 
by  the  Dutch  king's  award,  no  man  ever  dared  to 
raise  the  suggestion  of  making  money  out  of  the 
question.  He  would  have  been  forever  execrated  as 
a  traitor.  The  feeling  throughout  Maine  was  uni- 
versal, that  it  was  a  crime  to  sell  it ;  parting  with  an 
•invaluable  military  outpost  would  be  a  political 
offence,  akin  to  the  treason  of  Arnold.  The  United 
States  government,  with  the  same  reason,  might,  as 
they  believed,  give  up  by  treaty  and  surrender  the 
right  to  levy  duties  on  imports,  to  appease  the  com- 
mercial cupidity  of  Great  Britain. 


■  ■^.■:'M 


NORTHEASTERN  BOUNDARY. 


197 


To  make  a  show  of  title,  England,  after  1817,  set 
up  a  claim  to,  and  exercised  jurisdiction  over,  the 
entire  St.  John  basin,  including  that  part  of  Maine 
lying  west  of  the  due  north  line  from  the  source  of 
the  St.  Croix,  containing  12,027  square  miles,  equal 
to  7,697,280  acres,  though  she  only  wanted  a  military 
road  across  it.  The  treaty  of  Washington  gave  5,012 
square  miles  of  this  territory  to  England,  and  left 
7,015  square  miles  to  Maine,  equal  to  4,489,600 
acres,  from  all  which  the  more  valuable  timber  had 
been  taken  off. 

A  brief  historic  sketch,  showing  the  origin  of  the 
title  to  the  territory,  will  establish  all  that  has  been 
asserted  in  reference  to  the  bad  faith  of  England 
and  tlii^  disingenuousness  of  her  diplomacy.  This 
history  goes  back  to  the  earliest  efforts  at  European 
colonization. 

France  and  England  started  together  in  their 
efforts  to  possess  this  empire  of  the  New  World. 
Disregarding  the  Pope's  donation  to  Spain  and  Portu- 
gal, they  watched,  with  the  same  jealousy  as  now, 
every  movement  of  each,  and  of  every  other  power, 
to  gain  title  to  the  country.  Agreeing  in  the  doc- 
trine of  Elizabeth,  in  1580,  that  'po88esm>n  was 
essential  to  the  establishment  of  title,  France  granted 
to  De  Monts  the  New  World,  from  the  40th  to  46th 
degree  of  north  latitude,  November  8, 1603,  reserving 
"  any  lands  therein  held  by  any  other  Chiistian  prince 
or  people." 

England  granted,  in  like  manner,  or  with  similar 
leservations,  to  the  company  of  Virginia,  the  country 
from  the  34th  to  the  45th  parallel  of  north  latitude, 
April  10,  1606.     The  French  took  possession  at  the 


57? 


-.■U 


i. 


I 


M 


1 98        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

St.  Croix,  iu  Maiue,  in  1604  ;  the  English  at  Sagada- 
hoc, in  Maine,  in  1607  ;  both  claiming  to  the  extent 
of  their  charters.  The  French  monarch,  Henry  IV., 
through  the  influence  of  the  Jesuits,  was  induced,  in 
1607,  to  revoke  the  charter  of  1603  to  De  Monts,  a 
Protestant  nobleman  and  a  member  of  his  household, 
after  the  settlement  of  the  English  at  Sagadahoc ; 
thus  letting  iu  and  giving  priority  to  the  English 
title  over  the  subsequent  Fi'ench  charters  to  Cham- 
plain  and  Poutrincourt.  Champlain  took  possession 
of  the  St.  xjawrence  in  1608,  and  discovered  and 
gave  his  name  to  Lake  Champlain.  But  on  finding 
it  south  of  the  45th  degree  of  latitude,  the  northern 
limit  of  the  English  grant,  he  retired  above  that  line, 
and  in  this  way  this  most  ancient  landmark  became 
established.  The  charter  of  New  England  of  1620 
extended  its  line  as  far  north  as  the  48th  degree,  but 
it  met  at  the  45th  parallel  the  possessions  of  the 
French  on  the  St.  Lawrence. 

The  future  of  France  and  England  in  America 
was  practically  determined  by  these  events  of  1607 ; 
and  all  men  now  see  that  the  most  important  event 
of  modern  times  was  the  establishment  of  the  title 
of  the  English  to  the  New  World.  England  traces 
the  growth  of  her  empire  by  the  expansion  of  her 
commerce,  to  that  of  her  North  American  colonies. 

The  struggle  for  the  sea-coast  of  Maine  between 
England  and  France,  commencing  in  1607,  ended 
with  the  peace  of  Ryswick,  in  1697,  and  the  future 
of  the  continent  seemed  all  this  time  in  suspense. 
In  1613  Argall  found  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  Baird  and 
Masse,  at  Mount  Desert,  with  their  faithful  follower 


NORTHEASTERN  BOUNDARY. 


199 


,  •:* 


from  the  monasteries  of  France,  living  in  peace  with 
the  native  tribes.  He  promptly  destroyed  their 
settlement,  killing  or  carrying  them  into  captivity. 
This  shedding  of  blood,  the  second  act  in  the  drama 
of  empire  in  North  America,  aronsed  all  Europe  to  the 
consequences  of  the  measure,  and  called  forth  angry 
diplomatic  controversy.  France  yielded  again  to  the 
domination  of  England,  who  held  the  country  to 
the  45th  degree  of  north  latitude.  Champlain,  from 
1620  to  1635,  insisted  to  liis  sovei'eign  that  whoever 
held  the  basin  of  the  St.  Lawrence  should  hold  the 
open  sea-coast  of  Maine  ;  and  although  Cadillac,  the 
future  governor  of  Louisiana,  and  the  founder  of 
Detroit,  after  the  commencement  of  the  long  war  of 
1687,  known  as  the  ten  yeai's'  war,  submitted  a  plan, 
in  1692,  for  conquering  the  English  posts  and  hold- 
ing the  seaboard  of  Maine,  he  failed  to  receive  ade- 
quate support  from  his  government — till,  in  1697, 
the  peace  01  llyswick,  establishing  by  treaty  stipula- 
tion the  right  of  England  to  the  seaboard  east  of 
the  river  St.  Croix,  again  defeated  the  hopes  of 
France  for  supreme  control  in  the  New  AVorld. 

The  struggles  of  France  and  England  on  this  con- 
tinent— perhaps  stimulated  by  differences  of  religion 
and  race — had  their  oiigin  in  an  intuitive  faith  in 
the  leading  minds  of  both  nations,  in  the  future 
greatness  of  the  country,  and  the  hope  of  dominion. 
The  French  leaders,  far  ahead  in  theoretic  ideas, 
found  less  support  than  the  English  in  the  disposi- 
tion and  character  of  their  colonists. 

Maine  belonged  to   England,  and  was   partially 
peopled    after   the  St.   Croix   became  the   eastern 
7 


\ir3i 


w'  vt 


■^iSi 


:'t. 

',:    ■ 

•:    U 

M 


il 


III 


li'-i 


II 


200        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  \VA  K 

boundary  of  New  England  ;  but  witli  all  tliuso  ac- 
quisitions from  France,  England  had  but  a  small 
portion  of  the  continent.  Prior  to  the  coiujuest  of 
1759,  according  to  Bancroft,  dividing  North  America 
into  twenty-five  parts,  Ei'ance  ludd  twenty,  S[)aiu 
four,  and  England  but  one.  Q''^'''^^'^*  ^^as  captured 
by  Wolfe,  in  1759.  The  treaty  of  peace  of  170.3 
gave  Ntnv  France  to  England.  A  new  government 
was  to  be  established.  In  the  royal  proclamation  of 
October  7,  17G3,  the  line  of  boundary  between  the 
newly  ac(piired  province  of  Quebec  and  New  Eng- 
land ran  "  from  Lake  Champlain,  in  45°  of  north 
latitude,  along  the  highlands  which  divide  the  rivers 
that  empty  themselves  into  the  St.  Lawience  from 
those  which  fall  into  the  sea,"  etc.  The  same  line 
was  established  by  the  Quebec  act  of  1774. 

In  the  commission  of  Governor  AVilmot  as  gover- 
nor of  Nova  Scotia,  dated  November  21,  1763,  the 
western  boundary  of  that  Province  was  established 
as  follows  :  "  Westward  by  a  line  drawn  from  Ca[)e 
Sable  across  the  entrance  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy  to 
the  month  of  the  river  St.  Croix,  by  said  river  to 
its  source,  and  by  a  line  drawn  due  north  from  thence 
to  the  southern  boundary  of  the  Province  of  Que- 
bec." All  this  territory,  belonging  to  Great  Britain 
in  17C8,  was  divided  into  New  England,  Nova 
Scotia,  and  the  new  Province  of  Quebec,  whoso  lines 
of  boundary  could  not  be  more  clearly  statec^ , 

In  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  neither  Canada  nor 
Nova  Scotia  took  part  with  the  other  thirteen 
colonies.  In  the  definitive  treaty  of  peace  of  1783, 
notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  the  king,  George  III., 


NORTHEASTERN  BOUNDARY. 


20 1 


'Xm 


to  iiiJilvO  the  PiHcataciuJi  instead  of  the  St.  Croix  the 
l)ouiuhiry,  the  lines  were  ('stal)Hshe(l  as  follows: 
"From  the  northueHt  anglt!  of  Nova  Scotia,  to  wit, 
that  angle  which  Ih  formed  by  a  line  drawn  due 
north  fnmi  the  source  of  the  St.  Croix  Uiver  to  the 
highlands,  along  the  highlands  which  divide  the 
rivers  that  emi)ty  themselves  into  the;  river  St. 
Lawrence  from  those  which  fall  into  the  Atlantic 
Ocean,  to  the  northwesternmost  head  of  the  Connec- 
ticut River,"  etc. 

"Ejist  by  a  line  to  be  drawn  ahmg  the  middle  of 
the  river  St.  Croix  from  its  mouth  in  the  R*iy  of 
Fundy  to  its  source,  and  from  its  8<mrce  directly 
north  to  the  aforesaid  highlands." 

By  the  5th  article  of  Jay's  treaty  of  November  19, 
1794,  there  was  an  agreement  for  a  joint  commission 
to  ascertain  "  what  river  was  truly  intended  under 
the  name  of  the  river  St.  Croix,  mentioned  in  said 
treaty  of  peace"  (1783),  etc.  The  duties  of  this 
commission  were  i)erft)rmed  in  1798,  the  St.  Croix 
was  agreed  on,  and  the  source  thereof  marked  and 
established  by  a  suitable  monument.  This  adjudi- 
cation solved  every  remaining  doubt,  and  left  noth- 
ing open  for  dispute.  To  run  and  mark  the  line 
"  from  the  source  of  the  St.  Croix  "  to  the  heiid 
of  the  Connecticut  River,  following  the  words  of  the 
treaty,  was  as  easy  as  to  find  the  summit  of  Mount 
Washington. 

The  lines  agreed  on  in  the  treaty  of  1783  coincided 
with  the  lines  of  boundary  of  1703,  then  established 
for  the  convenient  govei-nment  of  an  em})iie,  whose 
ports  belonged  to  the  same  power.  No  language  could 


P',>  ! 


ii 


'     ■•  M 


■ 


4 


202        FI/iST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


be   more  explicit,  iiiul    no    ingemiity    of   statement 
could  ever  throw  a  doubt  over  the  matter. 

From  1817  to  1842  our  national  government 
sought  to  avoid  war  with  Great  Britain.  They 
could  not  fathom  the  depth  t)f  that  duplicity  that 
led  them  into  new  ncgotiatiouH  for  the  possession  of 
the  northern  i)art  of  Maine.  The  absurd  pretence 
that  it  \vas  "impossible  to  execute  the  treaty  of 
1783,"  asseverated  by  Lord  Palmerstou  with  the 
assumed  positiveness  of  conviction,  almost  ripened " 
into  an  admission  on  the  part  of  our  government,  in 
the  specious  diplomacy  of  Lord  Ashburton  in  1842. 
At  the  end  of  twenty-eight  years  after  the  treaty  of 
peace  and  amity  concluded  at  Ghent,  which  was  to 
close  all  disputes  and  give  repose  to  the  eastern 
border,  at  the  end  of  the  war  of  1812-1815,  Maine 
found  peace  only  in  yielding  up  every  thing  for  the 
sake  of  the  country.  Her  munici2)al  charters,  granted 
in  good  faith  to  her  few  settlers  who  had  gone  into 
the  teri'itory,  were  vacated  by  the  act  of  cession  ; 
her  citizens  ^vho  liad  been  imprisoned  for  adhesion 
to  the  American  cause  were  left  to  seek  new  homes : 
and  that  portion  of  the  territory  mainly  valuable  in 
money  for  its  timber,  containing  a  rich  soil  suitable 
for  settlement  and  fitted  for  raising  wheat,  left  to 
them  at  the  end  of  the  struggle,  which  they  had  hoped 
soon  to  fill  with  enterprising  citizens,  was  stripped 
of  its  more  valuable  timber.  The  locking  up  of  the 
country  fi'om  settlement  for  the  space  of  twenty-eight 
years  was  itself  a  cruel  and  disastrous  blow  to  the 
prosperity  of  the  state.  Maine  complained,  and  she 
has  since  been  treated  with  harshness  and  neglect. 


NOR  THE  AS  TERN  BO  UNDAR  Y. 


203 


Jiglit 


But  the  conduct  of  Maine  bus  been  consistent. 
She  would  liave  vindicated  her  rights  by  the  ar- 
bitrament of  anus  but  for  the  intei'ference  of  the 
federal  government.  Her  commissioners  in  1842, 
in  giving  their  reasons  for  rejecting  the  terms  pro- 
posed by  Lord  Ashburton,  were  overborne  by  threats 
of  war.  In  their  communication  of  July  22,  1842, 
they  say  : 

"  The  state  of  Maine  has  always  felt  insuperable 
repugnance  to  parting  with  any  portion  even  of  her 
disputed  tei'ritory  for  a  mere  pecuniary  recompense 
from  adverse  claimants.  She  comes  here  for  no 
mere  bargain  for  the  sale  of  acres,  in  the  spirit  or 
with  the  arts  of  traffic.  Her  conunissionei's  have 
been  much  less  anxious  to  secure  benefits  and  rec- 
ompense than  to  preserve  the  state  from  unnecessary 
curtailment  and  dismemberment." 

The  Governor  of  Maine,  in  his  annual  message  to 
the  Legislature,  January  7,  1843,  says: 

"  I  transmit  herewith  a  report,  with  accompanying 
documents,  of  the  commissioners  appointed  under 
resolve  of  May  26,  1842,  to  confer  with  the  authori- 
ties of  the  general  government  upon  the  subject  of  a 
proposed  settlement  of  the  northeastern  boundary 
of  this  state,  and  for  other  pur[)Oses. 

"  The  result  and  final  adjustment  of  this  question, 
even  if  it  should  be  regarded  by  the  people  of  this 
state  as  preferable  to  fui-ther  procrastination  and 
another  foreign  arbitration :  under  present  auspices, 
I  am  persuaded,  is  far  different  from  what  they  had 
anticipated.  For  myself,  I  can  truly  say  that  I  have 
been  deeply  disappointed,  to  use  no  stronger  terra. 


I  >  .V,E 


J.'  -.^ 


\ 


n 


■i      ' ' ' 

'     !  1 


ao4       FIRST  INTERNA  TTONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

By  this,  liowevei",  I  would  not  be  understood  as 
intending  to  cast  censure  upon  the  conunissionera  of 
this  state.  Tliey  were  seh*eted  hy  the  Legishiture  as 
gentk'nien  of  elevated  standing — command ing  in  a 
higli  degree  the  confidence  of  the  public,  and  as 
eminently  (jualified  for  such  a  service.  The  corre- 
spondence on  their  part  was  conducted  with  signal 
ability,  and  the  embarrassments  of  their  position, 
and  the  circumstances  by  which  they  were  ultimately 
induced  to  submit  the  (jufcfstion  to  the  determination 
of  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  are  fully  ap|)re- 
ciated.  But  however  their  course  may  be  regarded, 
the  result  is,  nevertheless,  a  subject  of  deej)  disap- 
pointment. The  course  of  the  British  government, 
so  far  from  having  been,  as  Mas  anticipated,  con- 
ciliatory and  liberal,  was  marked  by  an  unyielding 
and  grasping  si)irit.  Its  liberality,  if  any  was 
evinced,  was  in  unmeaning  diplomatic  comi)liment8, 
while  its  exactions  were  in  acres  and  substantial 
privileges ;  for  this  state  can  never  admit  that  the 
case  presented  was  one  of  doubtful  title,  in  which 
the  adversary  parties  might  reasonably  be  expected 
to  compromise  by  '  splitting  the  difference.'  The 
1  linquishment  of  a  claim,  therefore,  by  the  British 
government,  to  a  portion  of  what  has  been  denomi- 
nated the  disputed  territory,  cannot  be  regarded  by 
us  as  in  any  sense  a  concession.  If  a  portion  of  this 
territory  was  necessary  for  the  convenience  of  the 
British  government,  this  state  had  a  right  to  expect, 
on  its  being  yielded,  that  a  full  and  ample  equivalent 
in  other  territory  would  have  been  freely  tendered. 
Towards  the  fulfilment  of  such  an  expectation  tliere 
has  not  been  the  slightest  approximation. 


:1  i 


ill 
•ii 


NORTHEASTERN  BOUNDARY. 


205 


"The  indiitH't  overtures  on  tlie  part  of  tlu^  British 
government  for  an  jiniit'al»le  adjuHtment  of  tlie  boun- 
daiy  (luestion,  it  is  well  known,  were  met  on  the  part 
of  this  state  in  a  spirit  of  magnanimous  forgetfulness 
of  the  past,  and  with  a  generous  regard  to  the  su[)- 
poaed  interests  and  wishes  of  her  sister  states. 
Earnestly  entreated  by  the  general  government,  and 
pressed  as  she  was  by  circumstances,  she  could  not 
hesitate  to  place  herself  in  a  position  admitting  of  an 
amicable  and  honorable  settlement  of  the  <[uestion, 
confidently  ti'ustini'  'lat  the  government  of  the 
Union,  in  some  of  it^  departments  at  least,  would 
secure  her  from  sacrifice.  For  this  step  she  has  no 
cause  of  sel f- re j) roach.  It  was  taken  undei*  circum- 
stances that  would  fully  justify  its  repetition.  IIow 
this  generosity  and  confidence  on  her  part  has  been 
rewarded,  is  seen  in  the  result !  But  I  forbear  to 
dilate  upon  the  subject,  especially  as  it  would  be 
imavailing.  If  in  this  Maine  '  has  not  been  treated 
as  she  has  endeavored  to  deserve,'  it  is  far  from  being 
the  first  instance.  All  her  injuries,  however,  cannot 
shake  her  sense  of  duty.  As  a  member  of  the  Union, 
she  will  continue  to  be  what  she  has  ever  been,  faith- 
ful and  true.  And  if  she  could  be  satisfied  that  the 
sacrifice  was  necessary  for  the  good  of  the  country, 
she  could  in  that  find  ample  consolation.  To  inso- 
lent and  unfounded  pretension  she  can  yield  nothing; 
to  the  cause  of  patriotism  and  the  Union,  eveiy 
thing." 

An  able  committee  of  both  branches  of  the  Legis- 
lature in  their  report  of  March  21,  1843,  say: 

"That  the  terms  of  the  treaty  of  Washington, 
concluded  on  the  ninth  day  of  August,  1842,  so  far 


J. J 


•■■  til' 

I- 


MI<jfl|K|;    ^ 

''  1* 

9E''ra^H^ , .-    e 

1  ' 

fm^K 

!>    ' 


2o5        FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


as  they  affect  the  state  of  Maine,  are  not  satisfactory 
to  the  people  thereof. 

"  That  the  hopes  and  expectations  under  which 
the  state  of  Maine  consented  to  participate  in  the 
negotiation  which  eventuated  in  the  treaty  of  Wash- 
ington, are  greatly  disappointed  by  the  result  of  that 
negotiation. 

"  That  the  true  meaning  and  intent  of  the  resolves 
passed  by  the  Legislature  of  Maine  on  May  26, 
1842,  entitled  *  Resolves  in  relation  to  the  north- 
eastern boundary  of  this  State,'  did  not  authorize 
the  commissionerg  elected  under  said  resolves  to 
surrender  any  portion  of  the  territory  within  the 
line  of  the  trr.iiy  of  1783  as  claimed  by  Maine, 
without  a  full  equivalent  therefor." 

The  sum  of  $300,000  was  paid  over  to  Maine  and 
Massachusetts,  in  equal  moieties,  "  for  the  lands  re- 
linquished to  the  United  States,  and  excluded  from 
the  dominion  of  the  Union"  by  the  new  line  of 
boundary.  This  is  the  only  condition  of  the  treaty 
that  has  been  performed.  But,  for  the  fulfilment  of 
this  condition,  the  faith  of  both  governments.  Great 
Britain  and  our  own,  was  pledged  ;  and  so  great  was 
Lord  Ashburton's  anxiety  on  this  point,  that  he 
made  the  payment  of  this  money  a  subject  of  pub- 
lic correspondence  with  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the 
United  States. 

The  advantages  proposed  to  Maine,  for  this  sur- 
render of  territoiy,  were  the  free  navigation  of  the 
river  St.  John  and  the  payment  over  of  the  proceeds 
of  the  timber  robbery,  which  was  to  go  into  a  "  dis- 
puted territory  fund,"  to  be  kept  by  New  Brunswick. 


NOR TH EASTERN  BO UNDAR V. 


207 


That  provision  of  the  treaty  for  the  free  naviga- 
tion of  the  St.  John,  in  the  following  words,  "  All 
the  produce  of  the  forests  grown  on  those  parts  of 
the  state  of  Maine  watered,  bv  the  river  St.  John 
"  shall  be  dealt  loitli  as  if  it  were  the  produce  of  the 
province  of  Neio  Brunswich,^''  was  shamefully  evaded 
and  defeated  by  the  abolition  of  sturapage  dues  in 
New  Brunswick,  and  ^he  imposition  of  a  high  ex- 
port duty  on  all  lumber  floated  upon  the  St.  John 
River — a  plan  substituted  in  place  of  the  old  method 
of  selling  lumber. 

The  disputed  territory  fund,  it  is  true,  reached  a 
large  sum,  which  Maine  expected  to  receive ;  but  it 
was  all  consumed  by  the  claims  for  expense,  and  7iot 
a  dollar  of  it  was  ever  paid  over  to  Maine. 

Mr.  Webster  lived  long  enough  to  see  the  boasted 
advantages  ho  had  "  secured  to  Maine  by  the  treaty  " 
vanish  into  thin  air. 

How  persistently  Maine  has  always,  and  since  the 
ratification  of  the  treaty,  asserted,  her  rights,  the 
documentary  history  of  the  United  States  will  sho^v ; 
with  what  success,  the  vaiious  bills  and  other  mat- 
ters on  the  files  of  Congress  will  establish.  A  bill 
reported,  in  1862,  raid  again  in  1864,  from  the  Com- 
mittee on  Foreign  Relations  of  the  Senate,  compen- 
sating Maine  and  Massachusetts  for  lands  assigned 
to  occupants  under  the  fourth  article  of  the  treaty 
of  Washington,  lies  undisposed  on  the  table  of  the 
Senate. 

That  Maine  has  not  been  disloyal,  her  whole  his- 
tory and  the  records  of  the  last  three  years  will 
abundantly  show.    After  reciting,  in  brief  terms,  her 


^^^-1 


.  * 


\:^n 


^-^r* 


208 


F/JSST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


claims  on  the  government ;  by  the  resolutions  of 
1864  she  reiterates  and  renews  her  demands  in  the 
language  of  the  resolves  of  the  Legislature,  approved 
by  the  governor,  January  31,  1863,  "that  ^ Maine 
expects  and  earnestly  demands  that  measures  be 
taken  at  once  by  the  general  government  for  the 
protection  of  its  northeast  frontier ' ;  that  this  can 
be  accomplislied  only  by  a  military  railroad  from 
Bangor  to  the  St.  John  River. 

'■'■  Resolved^  That  the  peo2:)le  of  Maine,  zealously 
attached  to  the  principles  of  the  Constitution  and 
and  loyal  to  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
surrounded  on  three  sides  by  the  territory  of  a  for- 
eign power,  its  other  side  fronting  the  ocean,  where 
it  *s  at  all  times  exposed  to  attack  by  a  superior 
naval  power,  by  force  of  its  position  of  incalculable 
importance  to,  and  steadily  coveted  by,  the  people 
of  the  British  North  American  Provinces,  cannot 
fail  to  perceive  their  danger  in  case  of  war  with  any 
one  of  the  great  powers  of  Europe ;  and  they  appeal 
to  Congress  for  such  aid  and  support  as  will  enable 
them  to  protect  their  territory  from  foreign  invasion, 
and  secure  them  against  further  diminution  of  their 
ancient  domain. 

^^  Resolved,  Thaf;  the  government  of  the  United 
States  having  forced  a  reluctant  assent  from  the 
state  of  Maine  to  the  treaty  of  Washington,  by 
which  treaty  the  most  valuable  portion  of  the  terri- 
tory of  the  United  States  for  military  purposes  was 
surrendered  to  Great  Britain,  securing  to  her  a  mili- 
tary route  in  the  St.  John  valley,  between  Canada 
and  New  Brunswick :  the  only  adequate  measure  of 


NOR  THE  A  S  TERN  BO  UN  BAR  V. 


209 


'il::^H«s 


compensation  that  can  be  awarded  to  Maine  is  the 
construction  by  the  fedei-al  government,  or  through 
its  aid,  of  a  military  railway  fi'om  Bangor  to  the 
St.  John  River,  as  suggested  in  the  resolutions  of 
Maine  of  January  31,  1863;  that  in  order  to  secure 
this  result,  the  state  releases  and  assigns  to  the 
European  and  North  American  Railway  Company 
of  Maine  all  claims  on  the  federal  government 
accruing  prior  to  the  year  1860,  in  case  the  United 
States  government  affords  such  aid  to  said  railway 
company  as  will  enable  it  to  carry  out  its  line  of 
railway  from  the  city  of  Bangor  to  the  St.  John 
River,  or  to  such  point  in  the  northern  part  of 
Maine  as  may  accom[)lish  the  objects  and  purposes 
sought  for  by  the  government  of  this  state  and  the 
United  States." 

Maine  practically  asks  nothing  of  the  United 
States  government.  The  objects  she  seeks  to  accom- 
plish ai'e  national  in  their  character  in  every  sense 
of  the  term.  The  defence  of  Maine  is  more  essen- 
tial to  the  maintenance  of  the  national  government 
than  that  of  any  other  secti'm  of  the  country;  and 
this  can  only  be  effected  by  a  line  of  railway,  ex- 
tending from  the  central  and  more  densely  popu- 
lated portions  of  the  country,  to  the  northeastern 
frontier.  An  interior  line  of  railway,  free  from  the 
interruption  of  a^^  attack  by  sea,  from  New  York, 
Boston,  and  Portland,  to  the  St.  John  River,  would 
enable  our  government  to  concentrate  an  overwhelm- 
ing force  upon  it,  and  cut  the  line  of  communication 
between  Halifax  and  Quebec.  This  accomplished, 
the  line  of  railway  from  Portland  to  Canada  in  our 


m 


2  lo       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

hands,  and  the  city  and  harbor  of  Portland  made 
impregnable,  British  North  America  could  not  resist 
one  winter  campaign  in  a  war  with  us.  Ability  on 
our  part  to  strike  the  power  of  England  from  the 
continent  is  our  best  guaranty  of  perpetual  peace 
with  her. 


June,  1864. 


AN  AMERICAN  ZOLL-VEREIN. 


LETTER   TO   THE   SIIIP-CANAL   CONVENTION. 

Gentlemen  : — I  am  honored  by  your  invitation  to 
attend  a  convention  at  Chicago,  on  the  second  of  June 
next,  of  those  in  favor  of  the  enlargement  of  the 
canals  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Atlantic. 
And  I  am  further  requested,  in  case  I  cannot  attend 
said  convention,  to  communicate  my  views  in  writing 
upon  the  matters  embraced  in  the  call. 

Until  to-day  I  had  expected  to  have  been  able  to 
attend  as  one  of  the  delegates  of  the  Board  of  Trade 
of  Portland,  Maine,  some  of  whom  are  on  their  way, 
and  whose  intelligent  interest  in  the  success  of  your 
efforts  will  faithfully  represent  the  prevailing  opin- 
ions of  our  people. 

Your  call  seems  to  limit  the  object  of  the  conven- 
tion to  the  single  purpose  of  an  enlargement  of  the 
existing  canals  between  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi 
and  the  Atlantic  Ocean — works  of  obvious  value,  if 
not  of  immediate  necessity ;  yet  it  may  fairly  open 
the  entire  question  of  the  internal  commerce  of  the 
country,  and  the  means  of  transit  between  the  grain- 
producing  regions  of  the  interior  of  the  continent — 
the  great  Northwest — and  their  place  of  market. 

Questions  of  this  character  are  of  interest  to  all, 
and  must,  for  years,  if  not  for  generations,  to  come, 

an 


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2 1 2        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IV A  Y. 

become  the  most  engrossing  topics  of  public  concern, 
from  the  physical  configuration  of  the  North  Ameri- 
can continent,  the  limited  capacity  of  its  natural 
channels  of  trade,  and  the  political  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  all  eiforts  at  the  opening  of  adequate  avenues, 
by  artificial  means,  to  meet  the  wants  of  a  rapidly 
increasing  business. 

Great  as  is  now  the  internal  trade  of  the  country, 
it  is  a  tithe  only  of  what  it  will,  in  a  few  years, 
attain  to.  The  production  of  food  is  not,  at  this 
time,  equal  to  one  tenth  of  the  cai:)acity  of  the 
Northwestern  states,  without  resort  to  the  artificial 
stimulants  that  are  common  in  the  British  Isles. 
Besides  this,  one  half  of  all  the  grain  raised  in  the 
United  States  is  produced  at  points  so  remote  from 
market  that  its  value  would  be  consumed  in  the  mere 
cost  of  transportation  by  the  ordinary  channels. 
With  the  aid  of  all  existing  canals  and  railroads,  a 
bushel  of  wheat  in  the  Northwest  is  only  worth  one 
half  its  value  in  Liverpool,  so  enormous  is  the  cost 
of  present  transportation.  The  question  is :  How  shall 
this  difficulty  be  overcome  ?  And  it  is  this  question 
alone  that  will  engage  the  time  and  thoughts  of  the 
members  of  the  convention. 

It  has  seemed  to  me  that  the  great  difficulty  lies 
in  the  way  of  outlets /;'6>w  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  and 
other  lake  ports,  rather  than  in  the  lack  of  means  to 
"  >ring  produce  to  the  lake  shores.  Cheaply  built  and 
;-  oiiomically  worked  lines  of  railway,  with  other 
i:/>'i;is  of  transit,  bring  into  these  great  granaries — 
Jp  lake  ports — more  produce  than  the  outlets  can 
economically  take  away. 


AN  AMERICAN  ZOLL-VEREIN. 


"3 


What  are  wanted  are  cheap  and  expeditious  means 
of  transit  from  the  upper  lakes  to  the  open  sea. 
To  secure  these  most  effectually,  we  must  make  the 
St.  Lawrence  waters  an  ope7i  Mediterranean  Seaj 
60  that,  from  the  head  of  Lake  Superior  and  from 
Chicago,  ships  of  useful  size  for  navigating  the  ocean 
can  pass,  free  of  duty  and  with  despatch,  to  the 
Atlantic  ports  and  Europe,  and  backward  to  the 
same  places,  fully  laden.  By  this  means,  you  could 
diminish  by  one  half,  the  cost  of  transit,  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  farmers  of  the  Northwestern  states;  and 
indirectly,  for  the  advantage  of  the  entire  i^opulation 
of  the  country. 

xhis  is  a  matter  of  easy  accomplishment,  if  under- 
taken in  the  right  spirit  and  temper.  The  Eng- 
lisli-speahing  people  of  this  continent  are,  for  all 
commercial  purposes,  one  people,  holding  a  territory 
twice  the  size  of  the  continent  of  Europe,  capable  of 
sustaining  as  dense  a  population  as  that  which  now 
occupies  that  favored  portion  of  the  globe. 

This  territory  is  held  in  nearly  equal  shares  by 
the  people  of  the  United  States  and  of  the  British 
North  American  Provinces,  lying  mainly  on  opposite 
sides  of  this  great  Mediterranean  Sea,  formed  by  the 
waters  of  the  lakes  and  the  St.  Lawrence. 

The  laws  of  commerce  disregard  political  bound- 
aries, and  the  people  of  the  Northwest  should  have 
their  choice  of  routes  to  the  open  sea.  Ships  should 
load  at  Chicago  for  any  port  into  which  an  Atlantic 
sailer  can  enter,  and  by  as  mau}"^  routes  as  can  be 
created  :  from  the  St.  Lawrence,  by  the  way  of  Lake 
Champlain  into  the  Hudson,  by  the  Ottawa,  and  by 


:-^'::^i 


ai 


I 

I 


■  .:| 

W^^w 

ti-.^:il- 

ai4 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


1 

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P: 

Lake  Ontario.  The  advance  in  the  price  of  a  single 
crop  of  wheat  would  pay  for  making  all  these  routes, 
from  Chicago  to  the  Atlantic,  navigable  for  ocean- 
going sailing-ships  and  steamers. 

Montreal  harbor  could  be  made  for  the  trade  of 
New  York  what  Albany  is  now  ;  and  that,  too, 
while  the  St.  Lawrence  basin,  below  the  Victoria 
Bridge,  would  be  crowded,  like  the  Thames  in  our 
day,  from  London  to  the  sea,  when  this  continent  is 
as  fully  peopled  as  Europe. 

!  From  Chicago  to  the  Atlantic,  for  nearly  the 
whole  distance,  navigation  is  as  cheap  as  on  the 
ocean.  Short  canals  and  lockage  would  not  detain 
ships  more  than  the  average  adverse  winds  of  the 
Atlantic,  so  that  the  transit  of  goods,  to  and  from 
Chicago  and  Liverpool,  would  be  nearly  as  cheap  as 
to  and  from  New  York.  At  one  tenth  of  the  cost 
of  transportation  by  railway,  such  a  line  of  naviga- 
tion would  supply  an  outlet  to  the  trade  of  the 
Northwest.  To  transport  a  ton  of  goods,  by  ordi- 
nary highways,  costs  on  an  avei'age  twenty  dollars 
per  liuudred  miles.  The  railroads  will  perform  this 
service  for  two  dollars,  the  sailing-vessel  for  one 
tenth  of  this,  or  twenty  cents,  per  ton.  Open  a  ship- 
canal  by  the  way  of  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Chicago, 
and  the  cost  of  freight  per  mile  will  scarcely,  if  at 
all,  exceed  the  cost  of  transit  on  the  ocean,  or  the 
lakes. 

Our  great  difficulties  in  this  country  are  political 
ones ;  greater  than  the  limited  amount  of  capital  in 
business.  Public  improvements  are  mainly  depend- 
ent on  local  jurisdictions,  Provinces  or  States,  gov- 


'*  iJi! 

iiiiii 


AN  AMERICAN  ZOLL-VEREIN. 


"5 


erned  rather  Ly  sectional  aims,  than  by  regard  to 
the  higher  law  of  commercial  convenience.  In  the 
United  States,  nationality  has  scarcely  been  regarded 
as  an  object  of  statesmanship,  while  state  govern- 
ments have  seized  upon  the  more  valuable  attributes 
of  sovereignty.  The  regulation  of  the  currency  and 
of  the  channels  of  internal  commerce  which  should, 
beyond  all  other  matters,  be  under  the  control  of  the 
government  of  the  Federal  Union,  have  been  assumed 
by  the  states. 

To  this  undue  assumption  of  rights  by  the  states, 
incompatible  with  the  national  sovereignty,  can  be 
traced  the  origin  of  the  present  atrocious  civil  war, 
upon  the  part  of  rebellious  states.  This  war,  how- 
ever, has  already  taught  us  a  mode  of  supplying 
a  national  currency  which  will  never  be  superseded 
— a  discovery  worth  more  than  the  cost  of  the  war 
to  the  present  time.  Should  it  enable  the  national 
government  to  disregard  political  boundaries  in  the 
construction  of  public  works,  looking  only  at  l)hysi- 
cal  and  commercial  laws,  this  war  may  yet  prove  to 
our  nation  a  blessing. 

The  highest  statesmanship  of  our  day  regards  the 
English-speahing  people  of  both  hemispheres  as  one 
in  purpose  and  in  destiny.  Such  an  opportunity  for 
greatness,  as  that  enjoyed  by  the  head  of  the  British 
ministry,  has  not  before  this  time  been  offered  to 
any  minister  of  state.  He  has  only  to  recognize  the 
obvious  duties  of  consanguinity  and  good-fellowship 
to  make  the  union  of  all  who  speak  the  English 
tongue  complete  in  every  thing  that  tends  to  the 
advancement  of  civilization,  as  they  are  one  in  pur- 


i' 


3 1 6       FIRS T  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  VVA  Y. 


f*\ 


poae  and  desire.  In  this  spirit  let  us  act.  Lot 
political  boundaries  form  no  resti-aint  upon  commer- 
cial enterprise  ;  and  the  continent,  which  it  is  our 
good  fortune  to  inhabit,  shall  display  exhibitions 
of  material  greatness  worthy  of  a  superior  race, 
descendants  of  the  heroic  men  who  wrested  this  new 
world  from  the  grasp  of  their  less  enterprising  rivals, 
and  planted  over  this  broad  belt  of  the  tempei'ate 
zone,  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  seas,  institu- 
tions and  laws  favorable  to  commercial  freedom  and 
constitutional  liberty. 

If,  however,  the  time  has  not  arrived  when  we 
can  treat  the  English-speaking  people  of  the  conti- 
nent as  properly  subject  to  one  commercial  law — a 
result  not  far  distant  from  our  day,  when  an  ocean 
tariff  shall  extend,  with  uniform  provisions  for  the 
collection  of  duties,  from  Quebec  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
and  upon  the  Pacific  coast,  with  unrestricted  internal 
trade, — or,  in  other  words,  if  the  British  North 
American  Provinces  are  not  ready  to  adopt  with  us 
an  Amefi'ican  Zoll-  Verein,  we  must  make  use  of  our 
own  independent  advantages.  We  can,  mare  cheaply 
than  the  Canadians  have  built  theirs,  constmct  a 
8aip-canal  around  Niagara  Falls,  and  from  Oswego 
to  the  Hudson,  that  shall,  for  years  to  come,  take 
away  from  the  lakes  the  surplus  produce  of  the 
interior.  AYe  should  further,  with  the  same  broad 
view,  deepen  the  channel  of  the  St.  Clair,  and  extend 
this  water-line,  with  a  capacity  equal  to  the  passage 
of  an  ocean  steamer,  from  Chicago  to  the  navigable 
waters  of  the  Mississippi,  so  that  produce  can  pass 
by  either  route  to  the  sea. 


AN  AMERICAN  ZOLL-VEREIN. 


n 


The  people  of  the  Great  Eepiiblie  of  North 
America  have  been  unexi)ecte(lly  called  ujk)u  to 
deal  with  great  enterprises,  vast  and  nndefiniible  in 
their  extent ;  and  while  expend ifig,  witlioiit  discon- 
tent or  enibanassment,  large  sums  in  suppi'essiiig 
insurrection  and  guarding  against  foreign  invasion ; 
they  have  found  time  to  contemplate,  as  necessary 
practical  measures,  a  railway  from  the  Missouii  to 
the  Pacific,  and  a  line  of  ocean  steamers  from  San 
Francisco  to  the  shores  of  the  densely  populated 
continent  of  Asia.  A  further  knowledi^e  of  the 
capacities  of  our  country  and  of  the  capabilities  of 
its  people  will  insure  for  these,  and  all  the  enterprises 
named,  full  and  complete  success. 

With  the  highest  regards,  your  obedient  servant, 


JouN  A.  Pooii. 


Majf  30,  1863. 


■■■■;i 


'1 


H 


'^4 


M 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY. 


ADDRESS  DELIVERED  AT  RUTLAND,  VERMONT,  JUNE,  1869. 


\  ■  1 


.       w 


Mr.  President,  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Convention  : 
I  count  myself  fortunate  in  being  able  to  partici- 
pate in  the  proceedings  of  this  convention,  by  your 
kind  invitation.  It  is  a  business  meeting.  I  came 
with  my  associates  from  Portland  to  report  progress 
at  the  eastern  end  of  the  route,  rather  than  to  take 
active  part  in  its  labors.  But  for  an  important 
political  state  convention  in  Maine  to-day,  other 
friends  fi'om  our  state  would  have  been  with  you, 
to  show  their  appreciation  of  the  enterprise  you 
have  under  consideration. 

I  am  happy  to  meet  so  large  and  so  earnest  an 
assemblage  of  business  men,  engaged  in  a  work 
which  is  to  connect  you  in  busines-',  by  railway, 
with  the  harbor  of  Portland, — the  liueths-;  is  to  form 
a  chief  link  in  that  golden  belt  whicli.  's  to  span  the 
continent  of  North  America  at  its  widest  part,  under 
the  name  of  lite  Transcontinental  Railway. 

Evidences  of  thrift  and  prosperity  are  around  me 
Oil  all  sides.  This  beautiful  opera-house  in  which 
we  are  assembled  attests  the  wealth  of  Rutland. 
But  this  visit  to  your  flourishing  town  is  a  new 
experience,  for  it  is,  I  believe,  the  tirst  time  that 

213 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     219 


the  men  of  Maine  have  heen  invited  to  speak  for 
railroadn  in  Vermont.  It  Ih  pleasant  to  me  to 
recall  the  I'ailroad  history  of  New  England  for  the 
last  twenty-five  years,  and  to  note  the  gi-eat  changes 
in  that  time  in  the  business  of  your  region  of  the 
country. 

It  was  my  fortune  to  meet  some  of  the  leading 
railroad  men  of  Vermont  at  Montreal,  in  somewhat 
of  an  adverse  character  in  1845,  urging  the  claims 
of  the  Passumpsic  Railroad,  as  an  outlet  for  St. 
Lawrence  trade  by  way  of  St.  Johnsbury  and  Con- 
cord to  Boston  ;  against  our  favorite  direct  route 
from  Montreal  to  the  sea  at  Portland.  You  know 
how  events  turned.  Every  thing  went  in  our  favor. 
It  is  enough  to  say,  that  at  Montreal  Portland  influ- 
ence prevailed ;  the  Legislature  and  people  of  Can- 
ada, with  scarcely  a  dissenting  voice,  gave  their  sup- 
port to  the  Portland  line  over  all  other  projects, 
against  the  remonstrance  of  the  leading  capitalists 
and  business  men  of  Boston,  presented  at  Montreal 
by  one  of  your  prominent  citizens,  Hon.  Erastus 
Fairbanks,  afterwards  Governor  of  your  state.  He 
persevered  at  home  in  pushing  his  railroad,  after  his 
defeat  in  Canada  ;  presented  his  project  to  the  people 
of  Boston,  with  a  favorable  response  in  the  way  of 
subscriptions  to  his  stock.  We  moved  on  also,  and 
in  1848,  as  our  road  to  Montreal  extended  northward 
toward  your  State  line,  it  became  my  duty  as  one 
of  the  directors  of  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence 
Railroad  Company,  with  my  friend  and  associate, 
Hon.  P.  Barnes,  of  Portland,  to  ask  of  the  Legislat- 
ure of  your  state  a  charter  for  our  road  across  your 


'A 


■'  c  '\ 


T' 


TT 


i;  jl 

i'^^l 

Hb  i  ■    i.   ' 

2 20        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

northern  counties.  With  generous  unanimity  the 
Legislature  granted  our  request.  Many  at  heart,  or 
secretly,  opposed  our  project.  Others  regarded  it 
as  a  mere  paper  corporation.  Others,  alleging  that 
the  road  would  never  be  built,  consented,  but  after- 
wards stoutly  resisted  further  grants  required.  As 
our  line  advanced  fi'om  Portland  toward  the  Ver- 
mont border,  every  thing  had  to  give  way  to  the 
necessities  of  business, — the  line  was  forced  on,  and 
opened  through,  so  that  cars  came  from  Montreal  to 
Portland  on  July  18, 1853,  inside  of  twelve  hours' time. 

Maine  is  no  longer  dependent  on  Boston.  Since 
then  thinors  have  chanj^ed.  Portland  has  risen  into 
commercial  importance,  and  become  a  shipping  port 
and  market  for  western  produce,  the  packet  station 
in  winter  of  the  Montreal  and  other  lines  of  ocean 
steamers,  and  a  better  market  than  Boston  for  pro- 
vincial trade. 

The  European  mails  are  carried  in  winter  direct 
by  way  of  Portland  to  Montreal  and  the  West,  with- 
out paying  tribute  to  Boston,  or  calling  there,  as  in 
the  olden  time. 

The  Cunard  steamers  have  retired  from  Boston 
since  she  lost  the  carrying  trade  of  Canada,  and  the 
foreign  importations  into  Boston  have  fallen  from 
$45,988,545  in  1854,  the  highest  point  they  ever 
reached,  to  $37,039,771  in  1868,— while  the  importa- 
tions into  Portland  have  risen  from  $3,124,676  in 
1854,  to  $17,100,957  in  1868,  and  its  exports  in  like 
proportion. 

Portland,  from  its  geographical  position,  is  the 
natural  Atlantic  port  and  market  of  a  large  portion 


\    '■' 


m^§. 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.      221 


■m 


;*r 


of  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont.  Portland,  Bris- 
tol, Woodstock,  and  Rutland  are  on  the  same  par- 
allel. Portland  is  89  miles  north  of  Boston,  and 
only  25  miles  east  of  it.  More  than  three  fourths  of 
the  territory  of  Vermont  lies  north  of  a  due  west  line, 
on  the  parallel  of  43  °  39  ',  the  latitude  of  Portland, 
of  Meredith,  of  White  River  Junction,  of  Wood- 
stock, and  the  head  of  Lake  Champlain,  Whitehall. 
Before  the  advent  of  railways  or  canals,  Northern 
Vermont  came  to  Portland  to  market.  The  Noi-them 
Canal  from  Lake  Champlain,  73  miles  from  Albany, 
was  completed  to  the  Hudson,  at  Waterford,  64 
miles,  in  1819,  by  the  state  of  New  York,  which 
di'ew  at  once  the  trade  of  Western  Vermont  to  New 
York  City. 

From  1820  to  1830  Boston  made  slow  progress. 
In  1830  she  began  railroad  agitation,  and  in  1835 
stretched  out  her  iron  arms  in  the  form  of  railways. 
She  looked  upon  Maine  commercially  as  still  her 
province,  and  paid  little  regard  to  railroads  east  or 
north  of  Portland.  She  turned  northwest  and  west, 
and  with  railway  lines  crossed  the  states  of  New 
Hampshire  and  Vermont  to  Lake  Champlain,  and  to 
the  St.  Lawrence  at  Ogdensburg,  and  drew  to  her 
harbor  the  bulk  of  trade  of  both  these  states,  and  of 
Northern  New  York. 

But  Maine  awoke  from  her  lethargy  in  1844,  and 
Portland  started  her  line  to  Montreal,  which  has  large- 
ly changed  the  course  of  the  grain  trade  of  the  West. 
The  supplies  of  western  produce  for  LoweVl,  Law- 
rence, and  other  places  are  left  on  the  way,  and  do 
not  come  to  Boston  as  of  old ;  Boston  herself  drawing 


,^1 


■11 


m'h  * 


•fl  f!? 


MP; 


aaa        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

Bome  of  her  domestic  supplies  from  the  West  by  way 
of  Portland.  Flour  comes  down  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  the  canals  and  by  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  to 
Montreal ;  thence  to  Portland  and  to  Boston  by  rail- 
way and  steamer. 

Finding  her  plans  frustrated  in  1845,  to  anticipate 
the  completion  of  our  railway  from  Portland  to  Mon- 
treal, to  supersede  it  in  point  of  fact,  Boston  started  off 
on  a  new  crusade — abandoning  almost  entirely  the 
Boston,  Concord,  and  Montreal  project, — a  railway 
to  Ogdensburg,  and  completed  it  through  by  Boston 
capital  in  October,  1850.  Then  came  Boston's  great 
Railroad  Jubilee,  in  full  expectation  that  she  would, 
by  her  superior  attractions,  intercept,  at  Ogdensburg, 
the  produce  of  the  West  on  its  way  to  Montreal. 
But  the  whole  project  has,  so  far,  as  a  commercial 
speculation,  proved  a  failure,  as  the  Boston  Board  of 
Trade  returns  fully  show.  The  Boston  Daily  Adver- 
tiser ^  under  date  of  June  9,  1869,  admits  that  of  the 
43,415  barrels  of  flour  which  came  into  Boston  in  the 
month  of  May,  1869,  3,200  barrels  only  came  by  the 
way  of  Ogdensburg.  The  entire  quantity  of  flour 
which  came  by  way  of  Ogdensburg  and  reache^^  Bos- 
ton over  the  Northern  and  Fitchburg,  and  Boston 
and  Maine  roads  in  1868,  was  but  90,004  barrels, 
against  704,070  barrels  over  the  line  of  the  Western 
(now  the  Boston  and  Albany)  Railroad.  In  1863,  the 
northern  roads  delivered  326,900  barrels  of  flour  into 
Boston,  coming  from  Ogdensburg,  against  543,227 
barrels  by  the  Western  Railroad.  In  the  same  year, 
1863,  271,530  barrels  of  flour  were  sent  from  Port- 
land into  Boston,  and  in  1865,  454,421  barrels  of 


l-^Ai 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     223 

flour  were  sent  into  Boston  by  the  Portland  route. 
These  figures  illustrate  the  tendencies  of  Western 
trade. 

Our  railway  from  Portland  to  Montreal  was  pro- 
posed in  1844  as  an  outlet  for  western  produce,  a 
direct  connection  by  the  shortest  line  of  railway  be- 
tween the  navigable  waters  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and 
an  open  Atlantic  port,  in  a  distance  of  203  miles  on 
an  air  line.  The  work  of  construction  was  entered 
upon  in  1846,  and  the  railroad  line  estimated  at  250 
miles  in  length.  As  built,  it  deflected  materially  from 
the  most  direct  route,  after  it  had  reached  northwest 
from  Portland  to  Island  Pond,  mating  the  distance 
292  miles  from  Portland  to  Montreal.  A  connection 
between  Quebec  and  Montreal,  and  the  necessity  of 
keeping  so  far  east  of  the  direct  line  from  Montreal 
to  Boston  as  to  prevent  diversion  of  trade  to  that 
city,  no  doubt  influenced  its  location.  Without  this 
deflection,  the  means  for  building  the  line  could  not 
at  that  time  have  been  obtained. 

The  pressing  and  immediate  necessity  of  Portland 
to-day  is  a  direct  line  from  Island  Pond  to  Montreal, 
saving  46  miles  over  the  present  route  by  way  of 
Sherbrooke  and  Richmond.  This  is  fully  admitted, 
and  no  one  noio  fears  Boston  competition. 

Attempts  have  been  made  in  former  years  to  secure 
this  Island  Pond  cut-off,  but  without  success, — the 
funds  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  having  been  ab- 
sorbed by  extension  of  other  lines  further  west.  If  a 
direct  line  of  railway  was  extended  from  Island  Pond 
to  Montreal,  it  would  cheapen,  at  least  by  one  fourth, 
the  cost  of  transit  between  Montreal  and  Portland. 


V 


224       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


\\'\ 


•i'i 


At  no  very  distant  day,  as  I  believe,  this  will  be  ac- 
complished, as  a  necessity  to  Montreal  and  the  Grand 
Trunk  Railway,  to  retain  their  present  importance. 

The  railway  from  Montreal  to  Portland  (the  first 
great  international  undertaking  of  this  character) 
has  given  Portland  commercial  importance,  with 
favorable  results  upon  the  social,  political,  and  com- 
mercial notions  and  relations  of  the  two  countries. 
The  beginning  of  that  new  order  of  things  de- 
veloped by  our  inte;"national  lines  of  railway  and 
steamer,  is  making  tliC  English-speaking  people  of 
this  continent  one  in  sei  iiment  and  in  commercial 
undertakings.  And  it  is  pleasant  to  meet  on  this 
platform  to-day  a  gentleman  from  Ontario,  in  the 
Dominion  of  Canada,  representing  one  great  link  in 
this  chain  of  iron  that  is  to  bind  the  people  of  this 
continent  in  bonds  of  perpetual  peace. 

But  the  progress  of  improvements  in  twenty-five 
years  has  somewhat  modified  our  opinions  as  to  the 
future  of  trade.  Great  changes  have  taken  place  in 
the  navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  lakes 
since  1844,  and  our  views  as  to  the  value  of  the 
navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  below  Lake  Erie, 
have  been  somewhat  modified. 

The  AVellaud  Canal,  begun  in  1824,  and  opened  in 
1832,  was  found  insufficient  to  pass  the  largest 
vessels  navigating  the  upper  lakes,  and  in  1841,  the 
enlargement  was  undertaken  by  the  government  of 
United  Canada,  and  completed  in  1848  or  1849, 
with  eight  and  one  half  feet  of  water  on  the  mitre 
sills  of  the  locks,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  of 
chamber  between  the  gates,  and  twenty-six  and  one 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     225 


lialf  feet  in  width  in  the  clear.  The  h)cks  would 
allo\v  the  passage  of  any  vessel  that  could  then  pass 
the  St.  Clair  Lake  and  the  flats  in  that  river,  but  less 
than  500  tons,  in  burden. 

Mr.  Thomas  C.  Keefer,  an  accomplished  engineer, 
in  his  prize  essay  on  the  canals  of  Canada  in  1850, 
says :  "  The  depth  of  \vater  provided  for  in  the  St. 
Lawrence  and  Welland  canals  is  ample,  being  more 
than  is  afforded  in  many  of  the  harbors  upon  the 
upper  lakes,  more  than  there  is  over  the  St.  Clair 
flats,  and  as  much  as  the  general  features  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  navigation  will  Avarrant."  But  since  then 
the  United  States  government  has  opened  a  ship 
channel  through  the  St.  Clair  flats,  300  feet  in  width, 
protected  on  each  side  by  heavy  walls  raised  five  feet 
above  the  highest  waters  of  the  lake,  carrying  fifteen 
feet  of  water  from  Lake  Huron  into  Lake  Erie. 
Propellers  of  over  1,400  tons  burden  noAV  pass  from 
Buffalo  to  Chicago. 

Freight  formerly  taken  off  at  Collingwood  and  Sar- 
nia,  now  goes  through  to  Buffalo,  which  has  become 
the  great  depot  of  the  grain  trade  of  the  Northwest. 

The  result  witnessed  within  the  last  few  years  was 
not  foreseen  in  1844,  nor  in  1852  when  the  Grand 
Trunk  Railway  scheme  was  inaugurated,  and  our 
line,  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad,  ab- 
sorbed into,  or  annexed  by  perpetual  lease  to,  the 
Grand  Trunk  Railway  of  Canada.  The  theory  on 
which  our  railroad  to  Montreal  was  built  has,  in  one 
respect  at  least,  proved  erroneous. 

It  was  predicted,  too,  in  1844,  that  Montreal 
would  become  one  of  the  three  great  cities  of  the 


4! 


■wr 


1. 


\' 


226        FIRST  INTERNA TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 

continent,  from  the  commercial  advantajjes  of  its 
position,  no  one  at  th«t  time  anticipating  the  possi- 
bilit}'  of  this  deep  ship  channel  between  Lake  Huron 
and  Lake  Erie.  Montreal  has  great  advantages  as 
the  commercial  metropolis  of  Canada,  has  grown  to 
be  a  great  city ;  her  population  has  risen  from  57,715 
in  1£"S0,  to  101,602  in  1860,  and  to  160,000  at  the 
present  time.  Yet  Montreal  has  not  kept  pace  with 
the  city  of  Chicago. 

The  growth  of  Chicago  is  without  example.  Set- 
tled in  1822,  in  1850  it  had  a  population  of  29,463  ; 
in  1860,  110,703,       1  in  April  of  this  year,  265,000. 

In  looking  over  the  Chicago  Directory  for  1 868,  I 
found  it  con'ainod  94,000  names.  The  New  York 
City  Directory  of  luis  year,  1869,  contained  189,443 
names,  or  twice  the  number  only  of  those  found  in 
the  Chicago  Directory  for  1868.  Her  trade,  wealth, 
and  commercial  importance  have  gone  forward  in 
gi'eater  proportion  than  the  population. 

Compilers  of  commercial  statistics  put  flour  for- 
ward as  a  representative  of  trade,  and  it  would  be  in- 
teresting to  look  at  the  progress  of  the  grain  trade  of 
Chicago. 

The  President  of  the  Chicago  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce said,  in  a  late  commercial  convention  this  pres- 
ent year  :  "  When  railroads  shall  carry  grain  cheaper 
than  lakes  and  canals,  and  when  these  go  out  of  use, 
the  gi'ain  from  a  great  country,  Avhich  is  now  diverted 
to  Chicago,  will  seek  a  direct  route  to  the  seaboard." 
He  had  reference,  no  doubt,  to  the  lines  of  railroad 
terminating  at  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  and  New 
York,  competing  for  the  grain  trade  of  the  West,  of 


I  ■■:V 


i  .;  ■! 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     227 

wliicli  I  shall  hereafter  speak,  which  took  off  a  por- 
tion of  the  Chicago  trade  of  1867-8.  The  recovery 
in  1868-9  is  due  to  the  great  enlargement  of  trade 
on  account  of  better  crops  the  past  year. 

In  1860  the  quantity  of  grain  moved  eastward  by 
all  routes  was  78,632,486  bushels.  We  cannot  give 
as  full  statistics  for  the  year  1868.  The  cost  of  ship- 
ping a  bushel  of  grain  from  Chicago  to  New  York, 
according  to  statement  of  the  Chicago  Tribune  in 
May  last,  was  32^  cents,  divided  as  follows,  viz. : 

Inspection  (in  and  out) \ 

Storage i\ 

Commissions \\ 

Freight  to  Buffalo 6J 

Insurance i\ 

Elevator  at  Buffalo 2 

Handling \ 

Commissions  at  Buffalo i\ 

Freight  by  canal  to  New  York 13^^ 

Expenses  in  New  York 3 

Total  expenses 32} 

It  costs,  therefore,  16^  cents  a  bushel  to  transport 
grain  by  canal  from  Buffalo  to  New  York  City, 
somewhat  less  than  the  charges  by  railway,  showing 
an  actual  cost  of  $11,029,690  to  the  grain  trade  of 
Chicago,  for  the  transportation  of  its  products  from 
Buffalo,  or  by  other  routes,  to  New  York  City,  in 
1868-9,  which  were  as  high  in  1868  as  in  1869.  The 
great  practical  question,  therefore,  at  Chicago  and 
Buffalo  is,  how  can  we  induce  the  cost  of  transit  to 
the  Atlantic  seaboard  ? 

The  supply  of  Western  produce  for  Maine  comes 
by  way  of  Montreal,  and  if  we  had  free  trade  in 


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228       ^/^^r  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

breadstuffs,  this  supply  could  in  a  few  years  equal 
the  wants  of  New  England. 

Montreal  is  now  a  great  city.  She  has  secured 
a  deep  ship  channel  to  the  sea  through  Lake  St. 
Peter.  Vessels  of  light  draft  only  came  to  Montreal 
from  the  sea  in  olden  time,  or  prior  to  1851.  But  in 
1865  a  depth  of  twenty  feet  was  obtained,  with  a 
three-hundred-feet  channel,  while  there  was  only  a 
depth  of  eleven  feet  originally  in  the  flats ;  so  that 
after  fourteen  years  of  labor,  from  1851  to  1865,  the 
largest  steamer  of  the  Transatlantic  Montreal  mail 
line  came  regularly  to  the  wharves  in  Montreal 
during  the  season  of  navigation.  This  work  is  simi- 
lar to  that  executed  by  our  government  through  the 
St.  Clair  Flats  and  Detroit  River,  already  spoken  of. 
The  effect  of  this  measure  on  Montreal  is  shown  in 
the  fact  that  the  exports  from  Montreal  have  risen 
from  $2,319,228  in  1851,  to  $7,792,776  in  1867  ;  her 
imports  from  $9,178,840  in  1851,  to  $28,378,117  in 
1867. 

The  Montreal  ocean  steamers  known  as  the  "  Allan 
Line,"  commenced  in  1856  with  four  steamers,  having 
a  capacity  of  6,536  tons,  are  now  increased  to  six- 
teen steamships  in  number,  with  an  aggregate  of 
32,606  tons  register. 

Portland  owes  every  thing  to  her  harbor,  and  her 
present  commercial  importance  to  the  Grand  Trunk 
Railway,  and  she  should  be  jealous  of  all  attempts 
to  disparage  or  underrate  the  Grand  Trunk  line.  I 
am  sorry  to  say  advantage  has  been  taken  of  its  trials 
during  our  civil  war,  and  others  consequent  on  it,  to 
disparage  and   injure  it   in  public    estimation,  in 


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THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     229 

which  some  of  our  public  officials  have  beeu  but  too 
prominent.  Tlie  claims  of  the  Portland  and  Ogdens- 
burg  Railroad  have  been  urged  in  hostility  to  that 
great  line,  whose  fault  lies  mainly  in  an  inadequate 
amount  of  local  business  travel,  and  an  insufficient 
supply  of  equipment  or  rolling  stock  for  the  autumn 
ti'ade.  She  has  passed  through  her  troubles  as  other 
roads  have  done,  and  is  coming  out  all  right. 

What  has  the  Grand  Truuk  line  done  for  Port- 
land? Portland  in  1844  was  literally  a  deserted 
village,  rich  in  retired  capital,  but  poor  in  enterprise 
and  public  spirit.  The  suggestion  of  a  railway  to 
Montreal  was  like  an  alarm-bell  in  the  night,  struck 
by  the  hand  of  a  stranger.  It  aroused  her  sleepy 
ones  to  a  consciousness  of  their  condition,  and  drew 
into  active  energy  whatever  of  dormant,  or  of  patent 
public  spirit  there  was  left  in  the  entire  population. 
With  generous  emulation,  forgetting  past  differences, 
men  vied  with  each  other,  not  only  in  extravagant 
hopes  and  predictions  of  its  success,  but  in  hard 
work  and  substantial  aid,  and  it  went  through  in  its 
own  way  in  spite  of  those  most  interested  in  its  suc- 
cess. Portland  has  risen  into  wealth  and  compara- 
tive commercial  importance  since  1844, — her  valua- 
tion from  $4,365,788  in  1844,  to  $18,962,514  in  1854, 
to  $26,953,939  in  1864,  and  to  $28,572,748  in  1868, 
and  in  business  and  wealth  in  vastly  greater  propor- 
tion. Her  valuation  has  kept  up  notwithstanding 
she  lost  $10,841,525  by  fire  in  1866,  with  a  return  of 
$3,528,180  only  from  insurance.  Portland  is  com- 
paratively free  from  embarrassment,  but  with  an  in- 
evitable scarcity  of  money,  which  comes  of  such  a  vast 


'  '    ''   . 

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I. 


230        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

loss.  Insurance,  public  and  private  generosity  have 
done  mucli  to  relieve  the  distress  attendant  on  such 
a  calamity,  and  her  courage  and  activity  are  greater 
than  ever  before. 

In  their  imjmtience  for  new  business,  some  of  the 
people  of  Portland,  or  the  more  hopeful  of  them, 
were  encouraged  to  look  for  it  in  the  building  of  a 
line  of  railroad  through  the  White  Mountain  Notch, 
by  way  of  St.  Johnsbury  and  Lamoille  valley  to 
Rouse's  Point,  aiming  to  make  Ogdensburg  the  ob- 
jective point  of  their  scheme  upon  the  St.  Lawrence 
waters.  You  know  the  history  of  this  project.  St. 
Johnsbury  wanted  an  outlet  independent  of  the 
Passumpsic  Railroad,  and  proposed  a  railroad  to 
Montpelier,  for  which  a  charter  was  granted.  Mont- 
pelier  declined  to  bond  her  town  as  St.  Johnsbury 
had  done,  and  the  measure  hung  fire.  The  St. 
Johnsbury  interest  started  off  to  Portland  in  advance 
of  the  Montpelier  people,  and  proposed  a  line  from 
Portland  west,  agreeing  to  build  it,  if  Maine  would 
give  them  a  charter.  The  Vermont  Central  were 
standing  ready,  as  they  said,  to  take  a  lease  of  the 
line  to  Portland  at  six  per  cent,  on  its  cost.  After- 
wards, finding  the  scheme  impracticable,  they  cut 
loose  from  the  Central  line,  and  started  a  new  scheme, 
— a  line  from  Portland  to  Ogdensburg  by  the  way  of 
the  White  Mountain  Notch. 

To  the  support  of  this  project  I  could  never  bring 
the  convictions  of  my  judgment,  and  I  have  met  no 
little  opposition,  as  some  of  you  well  know,  for  stand- 
ing out  in  opposition  to  the  Notch  route.  I  do  not 
believe  the  line  an  easy  one  to  build,  and  I  do  not 


".*  ! 


bring 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     231 

think  it  will  bring  an  adequate  return  of  business  for 
the  outlay,  if  it  is  built.  Hence  I  cordially  fell  in 
with  your  scheme  and  with  the  views  presented  by 
the  president  of  this  convention,  who,  with  his  friend, 
General  Washbui'n,  and  other  influential  citizens  of 
Vermont,  visited  Portland,  for  this  puri)ose,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1868.  I  shall  never  fail  to  thank  you,  Mr. 
Chairman,  in  behalf  of  Portland  and  of  Maine,  for 
your  broad  statesmanship  and  enlightened  views  on 
this  question,  and  for  bringing  the  claims  of  the 
Rutland  and  Portland  line  to  the  knowledge  of  our 
people. 

To  understand  the  value  to  Portland  of  the  Rut- 
land route,  over  other  projected  lines  to  the  West,  I 
have  said  to  our  people,  it  is  essential  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  physical  geography  of  the  country 
between  Lake  Champlain  and  the  Hudson  River 
valley,  and  the  territory  of  New  England. 

From  New  York  City  to  Montreal,  a  distance  of 
about  400  miles  along  the  route  of  the  Hudson 
River  and  Lake  Champlain,  is  a  comparative  level, — 
Lake  Champlain  being  but  90  feet  above  tide- water; 
and  the  highest  summit  between  Hudson  River  and 
Lake  Champlain  is  132  feet  above  tide-level.  The 
Green  Mountain  range,  running  nearly  north  and 
south,  parallel  with  Lake  Champlain,  extends  from 
the  south  line  of  Massachusetts  to  the  St.  Lawrence 
waters,  forming  a  continuous  ridge,  with  occasional 
depressions,  but  without  any  of  the  deep  gorges  and 
pointed  summits  which  characterize  the  granitic  for- 
mation lying  east  of  the  Connecticut  River  in  New 
Hampshire.     Three  lines  of  railway  now  cross  the 


-^ 


1-  *' 1 


I 


232       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

Green  Mountain  rtinge;  the  Western  Railroad  of 
Majssjichusetts,  now  the  Boston  and  Albany  line, 
with  long-continued  heavy  grades ;  the  Rutland 
Railroad,  over  Mt.  Holly  summit ;  and  the  Ver- 
mont Central  Railroad,  by  way  of  Roxbury  and 
Northfield. 

The  Rutland  and  Central  Railroads  cross  the 
state  of  Vermont  diagonally  by  means  of  long  as- 
cents, over  lofty  summits,  the  exact  height  of  which 
are  not  known  to  me.  The  proposed  Ogdeusburg 
line,  further  north,  is  understood  to  be  surrounded 
with  a  still  greater  engineering  difficulty  in  reaching 
the  Lamoille  valley.  The  most  favorable  route  for  a 
railroad  across  your  state,  south  of  Island  Pond,  as 
far  as  grades  are  concerned,  is  by  way  of  Montpelier, 
where  the  Green  Mountains  can  be  passed,  by  easy 
grades,  at  an  elevation  of  1,340  feet  only,  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  The  Nulhegan  and  Clyde  summit,  on 
the  Grand  Trunk  line,  is  only  1,158  feet  above  tide- 
water. Neither  the  Rutland  nor  Central  lines,  already 
built,  or  the  Montpelier  and  St.  Johnsbury  lines  pro- 
posed, aiford,  or  can  afford,  a  direct  line  across  the 
state.  If  one  of  your  representatives  wants  to  reach 
Rutland  from  Montpelier,  the  state  capital,  he  must 
either  go  northwest  to  Burlington  40  miles,  thence 
south  67  miles  to  Rutland,  107  miles  in  all ;  or  run 
down  104  miles  to  Bellows  Falls,  thence  53  miles  to 
Rutland,  a  total  of  157  miles,  when  the  distance 
between  Montpelier  and  Rutland  is  only  about  40 
miles. 

A  line  directly  across  the  state  from  White  River 
Junction  to  Rutland  would  shorten,  by  one  half,  the 


Ml 


■^ip 


ipp 


If,  the 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     233 

diritance  by  railway  to  the  Htate  capital,  and  afford  a 
natural  and  easy  connection  between  all  the  i-ailroadw 
in  that  state.  It  would  concentrate  at  Rutland  a  large 
amount  of  business,  making  it  a  great  commercial 
1,  )wn.  I  am  told,  among  other  j^rojects  in  contempla- 
tion here,  is  the  building  of  a  canal  from  Lake  Cham- 
plain.  The  ex|>erience  of  the  last  twenty  years,  in  con- 
nection with  raih'oads,  has  demonstrated  the  fact  that 
Rutland  is  a  point,  if  not  the  only  point  in  the  state 
of  Vermont,  capal)le  of  becoming  a  great  inland 
town,  by  force  of  natural  laws.  Such,  at  any  rate, 
is  ray  conviction.  One  feels,  on  reaching  Rutland, 
that  he  has  got  outside  or  beyond  the  commercial 
drift  of  New  England,  and  that  Rutland  behngs 
to  the  New  York  system  of  railroads,  and  within 
reach  of  W(!stern  connections.  Trains  of  cars  from 
Jew  York  City  at  8  o'clock  a.ji.  reach  Rutland  at 
5  o'clock  P.M.,  and  there  is  a  great  movement,  both 
of  passengers  and  of  freight,  north  and  south,  as 
well  as  across  Mt.  Holly  to  the  Connecticut  River 
and  the  east. 

It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  Rutland  is  the  objec- 
tive point  for  all  successful  railway  movements  from 
Portland,  west.  Such  a  line  would  follow  the  natural 
route  from  Portland  to  Lake  Charaplcin,  and  on 
reaching  Whitehall,  the  nearest  point  from  Lake 
Champlain  to  the  Atlantic,  would  not  only  meet  the 
present  wants  of  business,  but  be  prepared  to  receive 
the  accumulations  which  are  sure  to  come  to  it  by  the 
extension  of  a  line  on  the  western  shore  of  the  lake 
from  Plattsburg,  and  of  a  direct  line  of  railway  to 
Oswego,  on  the  completion  of  ship  canals  from  Lake 


234        FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


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Erie  into  Ontario,  and  from  the  St.  Lawrence  into 
Lake  Champlain,  tlie  favorite  project  of  Chicago  and 
the  exporters  of  Western  produce. 

Tlie  Nortlieiii  seaboard  cities  have  strongly  sym- 
})athized  with  the  AYest  in  their  desire  for  tlie  Niagara 
Ship  Canal,  and  this  idea  has  at  times  had  great  ap- 
parent strength  thi'oughout  the  country.  Six  years 
ago,  or  in  1803,  a  call  for  a  convention  at  Chicago  to 
aid  the  canal  project  wa-*  numerously  signed  by  niem- 
beivs  of  Congress,  near  the  head  of  which  stood  the 
name  of  our  p'-esent  Minister  to  France,  the  lion.  E. 
B.  AVashburn,  of  Illinois,  a  native  of  Maine.  In  1809, 
Mr.  Washburn  led  oil'  in  the  movement  to  postpone 
and  defeat  the  canal  project,  and  it  seems  far  less  likely 
of  accomplishment  now  than  it  did  six  years  ago. 
The  gi'eat  Middle  States,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  and 
Missouri,  and  all  the  country  south  of  them,  opjxise 
the  grant  of  money  from  the  national  treasury  to 
aid  the  building  of  this  canal.  The  state  of  New 
York  is  opposed  to  it,  and  insists  if  money  is  ex- 
pended by  the  general  government  for  canal  purposes, 
it  should  be  applied  to  the  enlargement  of  the  Erie 
Canal, — giving  it  sufficient  capacity  to  float  the  lar- 
gest propellers  upon  the  upper  lakes.  The  expense 
of  such  an  enlargement  would  be  enormous,  and  the 
caual  could  not  compete  with  the  railroads  in  trans- 
portation. If  such  a  canal  had  an  unbroken  level,  so 
that  boats  or  vessels  could  cover  its  entire  surface,  it 
could  carry  cheaper  than  the  railroads;  but  the 
delay  of  locks  destroys  the  efficiency  of  canals,  and 
they  could  never  compete  successfully  with  railroads 
with  large  quantities  of  business.     The  capacity  of  a 


I    \ 


and 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     235 


canal  is  limited  by  its  locks.  A  railroad  is  a  canal 
without  locks,  and  you  may  cover  the  whole  length 
of  the  lines  with  trains,  provided  there  is  an  ade([uate 
supply  of  business.  Looking,  therefore,  at  the  canal 
question  in  its  economical  aspects,  as  a  practical  one, 
it  is  obvious  that  the  day  for  the  enlargement  of  canals 
is  far  off,  if  not  already  gone  by.  While  serving  useful 
purposes  in  connecting  by  short  links  great  basins  of 
navigable  water,  like  Lake  Huron  and  Lake  Supe- 
riorj  or  Lake  Huron  and  Lake  Erie,  canals  can  never 
compete  with  lines  of  railway  in  long  transportation. 
The  canals  of  Ohio,  connecting  Lake  Erie  with  the 
Ohio  lliver,  serve  a  useful  purpose  in  their  own 
neighborhood,  but  they  cannot  compete  for  a  mo- 
ment with  railroads. 

.It  is  obvious,  therefore,  to  my  mind,  that  railroad 
plans  based  upon  the  idea  of  the  early  completion  of 
the  Niagara  Ship  Canal  must  fail, — that  a  line  of 
railroad  from  Ogdensburg  to  the  seaboard  at  Boston 
or  Portland  must,  as  in  the  past,  prove  a  failure. 
It  will  be  cheaper  to  take  freight  from  Buffalo  to 
Portland  by  a  direct  line  of  railroad,  than  to  pass  it 
through  a  canal  into  Lake  Ontario  to  Ogdensburg, 
and  then  transport  it  by  rail  to  the  seaboard ;  or,  at 
any  rate,  cheaper  to  transport  it  by  way  of  Oswego 
to  Portland,  by  a  continuous  line.  Produce  once 
put  upon  a  railroad  should  follow  that  track  to 
the  seaboard  without  further  handling,  and  if 
moved  slowly  at  only  twice  the  speed  of  a  canal 
boat,  it  can  go  about  as  cheaply,  if  not  cheaper, 
b^  rail  than  by  water,  and  be  landed  at  the  most  con- 
venient point  at  its  place  of  destination.     It  is  a 


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236       J^VJiS T  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


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knowledge  of  this  tliiit  moved  Buffalo  jirid  Chicago 
to  desire  an  independent  railroad,  and  a  shorter 
line  from  Buffalo  to  the  sea.  Cheap  navigation  is 
now  found  between  Buffalo  and  Chicago  in  sum- 
mer; and  could  a  series  of  canals  be  provided,  free 
to  all  the  world,  from  Lake  Erie  to  the  ocean, 
allowing  the  largest  vessels  now  known  ui)on  the 
lakes  to  pjiss  from  Chicago  to  the  open  sea,  the 
St.  Lawrence  route  might  in  time  grow  into  favor; 
but  the  St.  Lawrence  navigation  below  Quebec 
is  an  object  of  dread  in  autumn ;  at  the  West 
many  believe  it  impossible  to  make  use  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  below  Montreal  to  any  great  advan- 
tage, when  the  grain  crop  is  pressing  forward  to 
market,  owing  to  the  early  closing  of  navigation. 
The  Portland  outlet  by  railway  is  the  great  featiu'e 
in  the  commercial  policy  of  Canada. 

If  a  ship  canal,  ecpial  to  the  passage  of  propellers 
carrying  1,500  tons  burden,  could  be  constructed  from 
Lake  Erie  into  Lake  Ontario,  and  from  the  St.  Law- 
rence into  Lake  Champlain,  making  Lake  Champlain 
an  inland  hasin^  the  produce  of  the  AVest  would 
undoubtedly  flow  into  it  in  unmeasured  abundance, 
to  be  drawn  off  by  railway,  as  wanted,  for  shipment 
or  home  consumption,  to  Portland,  Portsmouth, 
Boston,  and  New  York,  in  distances  varying  from 
180  to  240  miles, — such  a  canal  policy  might  solve, 
in  some  measure,  the  question  of  transportation  for 
Western  produce.  A  long  line  of  canal  of  322  miles 
from  Buffalo  to  Albany,  or  of  70  miles  from  Lake 
Champlain  at  Whitehall  into  the  Hudson  at  Troy, 
cannot  now,  and  never  can,  compete  in  transportation 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RATLIVAY.     237 


;^.r^ 


with  railroads  aloiicr  its  route.  Here,  then,  comes 
tlie  answer  to  tlie  question,  how  can  we  reduce  the 
cost  of  transit  from  Buffalo  to  tht;  Atlantic  seaboard  ? 
By  building  a  new  line  of  railroad  from  Buffalo  by 
the  most  direct  route  to  the  Atlantic  at  Portland. 
This  line  will  serve  as  the  cheapest  outlet  for  prod- 
uce fn^m  Buffalo  to  the  seaboard  at  the  present 
moment,  and  meet  the  fui'ther  wants  of  trade,  when 
shij)  canals  are  constructed  from  Lake  Erie  into  Lake 
Champlain. 

But  the  most  foimidable  of  all  the  obstacles  to  a 
canal  policy  on  the  part  of  the  government  is  the 
opposition  of  the  great  railroad  companies  and  great 
railroad  combinations,  the  mere  statement  of  which 
excites  a  feeling  of  alarm.  These  recent  combina- 
tions ai'e  an  object  of  Jealousy,  almost  of  teri'or,  at 
the  West,  as  they  are  8ap[)ing  the  trade  of  the 
western  towns  for  the  benefit  of  the  Atlantic  cities. 
The  first  of  these  great  combinations  terminates 
at  Baltimore,  of  which  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Rail- 
road forms  the  base.  It  owns  a  continuous  line 
from  Baltimore  to  Wheeling,  a  distance  of  379  miles, 
with  a  branch  of  104  miles  from  Grafton  to  Parkers- 
burg,  on  the  Ohio  River,  which  is  being  spanned  by 
a  bridge — giving  a  continuous  line  to  Cincinnati  by 
way  of  Marietta,  a  distance  of  205  miles.  This 
company  is  constructing  another  bridge  aci'oss  the 
Ohio  at  Benwood,  between  it  and  Bellaire,  to  ac- 
commodate the  Ohio  Central  Railroad,  extending 
from  the  Ohio  River  to  Columbus,  137  miles,  which 
is  a  part  of  her  chain ;  and  they  have  recently  pur- 
chased the  intersecting  road  from  Newark  to  San- 


PIT 


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238        FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

dusky,  116  miles  in  length — giving  them  a  hold 
upon  Lake  Erie,  as  well  as  upon  Ohio  at  Cincinnati. 
The  nearest  outlet  f  i-om  Cincinnati  to  the  Atlantic  is 
at  Baltimore,  by  way  of  Marietta,  Parkersburg,  and 
Grafton,  a  distance  of  588  miles. 

The  second  grand  consolidation  rests  upon  the 
Pennsylv^ania  Railroad,  with  its  various  absorptions 
and  combinations,  including  the  Pittsburg,  Fort 
Wayne,  and  Chicago  line;  and  the  Chicago  and 
Rock  Island  and  Pacific  road,  reaching  to  the  Mis- 
souri River — already  embracing  1,530  miles  of  com- 
pleted railroad,  with  a  capital  equal  to  $122,110,164, 
whose  gross  earnings  in  1868  to  $36,260,213.  It  is 
now  understood  that  this  company  have  also  secured 
the  control  of  the  line  from  Columbus  to  Indianapolis, 
and  of  the  Miami  Railroad,  from  Columbus  to  Cin- 
cinnati. At  Cincinnati,  a  company  under  their  control 
is  bridging  the  Ohio  from  the  Miami  station  to 
Newport,  which  owns  the  new  line  from  Cincinnati 
to  Louisville,  a  distance  of  104  miles  opened  to 
traffic  in  June  the  present  year.  These  move- 
ments have  excited  alarm  among  the  business  men 
and  the  people  of  Cincinnati,  which  city  has  lost 
almost  the  entire  trade  of  the  countiy  lying  east 
of  it, — goods  being  freighted  through  from  the 
Atlantic  seaboard  to  all  intermediate  towns  as 
cheaply,  or  even  cheaper,  than  to  Cincinnati ;  while 
the  railroads  running  east,  north  of  Cincinnati,  and 
between  it  and  the  lakes,  have  carried  the  great 
stream  of  travel  east  and  west,  away  from  her  city, 
and  taken  from  her  a  large  portion  of  the  trade  of 
Northern  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Central  Illinois,  which 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     2sg 


formerly  made  Cincinnati  their  market.  Cincinnati, 
aroused  to  the  most  determined  action  in  an  effort  to 
restore  her  lost  advantages,  has  voted  to  use  the  credit 
of  the  city,  under  authority  of  an  act  recently  graiited 
by  the  Legislature,  to  the  amount  of  $10,000,000,  to 
build  a  railroad  on  the  most  direct  route  from  Cin- 
cinnati to  Chattanooga ;  in  the  hope,  if  not  with  the 
certainty,  of  bringing  the  trade  of  Eastern  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee,  and  of  the  whole  country  lying  west 
of  the  Blue  Ridge,  to  her  city, — a  measui'e  long  in 
contemplation,  and  recommended  by  President  Lin- 
coln as  a  measure  necessary  to  the  cari-ying  on  of  the 
war.  But  nothing  could  arouse  Cincinnati  to  the 
necessary  measures  to  complete  this  work,  except  the 
recent  diversion  of  her  trade  to  other  places. 

Coming  to  New  York,  the  third  great  consolidated 
scheme  is  that  of  the  Erie  Company,  whose  line,  on  the 
six-feet  gauge,  extends  northwest  to  Dunkirk  and 
Buffalo,  and  by  means  of  the  Atlantic  and  Great 
Western  Railroad  to  Cincinnati,  from  Salamanca  on 
the  Erie  line,  415  miles  from  New  York, — a  dis- 
tance of  448  miles,  on  the  same  gauge ;  where,  in  a 
distance  of  863  miles  from  New  York  at  Cincinnati, 
it  connects  with  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Railroad, 
extending  340  miles  from  Cincinnati  to  St.  Louis, — 
fonnin<2r  an  unbroken  broad-jraucje  line  from  the 
Mississippi  River  to  New  York,  1,203  miles.  On 
this  line  cai-s  now  run  for  the  entire  distance  without 
change.  The  plans  of  this  company  contemplate  a 
line  to  Chicago,  which  was  a  portion  of  the  scheme 
of  Sir  Morton  Peto,  interrupted  for  the  time  by  his 
disastrous  failure,  when  the  great  railroad  revulsion 


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240        F/JiST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

took  place  in  England,  from  wliich  that  country  Las 
not  yet  recovered. 

But  the  greatest  of  all  the  combinations  is  that 
formed  and  carried  on  under  the  guidance  of  a  single 
mind,  that  of  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  president  of  the 
New  York  Central  Railroad ;  who  has  practically 
united  into  one  company  the  Hudson  River  Rail- 
road, the  New  York  Central,  the  Buffalo  and  Erie, 
the  Lake  Shore,  Cleveland,  and  Toledo,  the  Michigan 
Southern  (from  Toledo  to  Chicago),  and  the  Chicago 
and  Northwestern,  reaching  to  Omaha,  the  eastern 
terminus  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad, — embracing 
a  length  of  2,480  miles  of  lines  in  operation,  costing 
$164,485,056,  whose  income  in  1868  was  $44,820,- 
893  ;  and  other  plans  are  on  foot  for  still  further 
absorptions  and  combinations. 

These  great  railroad  combinations  In  a  measure 
control  the  trade,  the  public  men,  and  the  politics  of 
the  country.  It  is  now  understood  that  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  combination,  under  the  lead  of  J. 
Edgar  Thompson,  are  looking  toward  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  project,  and  this  same  Mr.  Thomp- 
son, with  Mr.  Benjamin  E.  Smith,  of  Columbus,  Ohio, 
are  prominent  contractors  in  the  building  of  the 
European  and  North  American  Railway  from  Bangor, 
Maine,  to  St.  John  City,  New  Brunswick.  When 
they  come  into  control  of  the  lines  east  of  Bangor, 
they  may  turn  their  thoughts  and  their  labors  to 
the  Northern  Pacific,  by  a  direct  route  from  Bangor. 
The  operations  of  the  men  engaged  in  these  com- 
binations are  as  vast  and  as  unfathomable  as  the 
great  deep, — the  result  of  them,  no  man  can  estimate, 


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THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     241 

foresee,  or  conjecture.  Tliey  defeated  the  Niagara 
Ship  Canal.  To  bold  control  of  their  present  busi- 
ness, against  all  interference  on  the  part  of  the 
national  or  state  governments,  they  may  possiljly  be 
compelled  to  reduce  the  cost  of  railroad  transporta- 
tion. 

Of  one  thing  we  may  be  assured,  that  while  the 
demands  of  trade  and  the  necessities  of  business  call 
for  additional  outlets,  the  building  of  this  shortest 
practicable  line  from  Chicago  to  the  sea,  will  be 
called  for  before  any  great  reduction  of  freights  will 
or  can  take  place.  What  direction  shall  this  new 
line  take  ?  New  Yorkers  claim  that  they  can  find 
a  new  route  as  favorable  as  ours.  But  let  the 
business  men  of  Rutland  take  this  question  home 
to  themselves,  and  they  can  now  determine  the  route. 

You,  Mr.  Chairman,  have  had  experience  in  man- 
aging a  railroad,  in  working  a  line  with  heavy  grades 
and  large  expenditures.  At  present,  your  business 
is  limited,  yet  you  must  charge  enough  to  pay  for 
doing  this  business,  and  giving  a  return  of  profit  on 
the  capital  of  your  company.  This  business  you  can 
enlarge.  In  addition  to  great  advantages  of  situation, 
sufficient  to  make  you  a  great  town,  you  are  favored 
with  treasures  of  wealth,  as  valuable  as  the  coal 
deposits  of  Pennsylvania,  in  your  marble  quarries,  a 
visit  to  which  we  have  enjoyed  to-day.  Such  a 
sight  as  I  have  witnessed  is  worth  a  visit  of  thou- 
sands of  miles,  and  was  to  me,  fhe  most  instructive 
lesson  I  have  had  for  years.  Thesje  marble  quarries 
are  enough  to  justify  an  expenditure  equal  to 
half  your   valuation,  as  shown   by  the  grand  list, 


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24 2        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 

or  $2,000,000  of  money  to  open  the  Transcon- 
tinental Railway,  and  give  you  the  market  of 
Chicago,  and  other  cities  in  the  West ;  and  the  open 
market  of  the  world  by  a  railway  to  the  seaboard  at 
Portland.  Your  line  to  Boston  is  inadequate  to  your 
wants.  The  elegant  Post-office  and  United  States 
Court  room,  in  Portland,  in  process  of  construction,  is 
of  Vermont  marble,  taken  from  some  of  the  quarries 
north  of  you  ;  and  if  we  had  the  direct  line  finished 
to  Portland,  this  beautiful  mateiial  would  come 
largely  into  use  for  building  purposes,  not  only  in 
Portland,  but  in  all  the  other  Atlantic  cities,  as 
soon  as  the  cost  of  transportation  would  Justify  it. 
There  is  room  enough  and  space  enough  to  wor]\ 
up  here  the  material  into  public  and  private  edifices, 
so  that  it  could  go  fonvard  to  market  in  the  most 
valuable  form,  shaped  by  the  hands  of  your  own  arti- 
sans.  The  great  labor  should  be  expended  here. 
You  have  in  employ,  probably,  1,000  laborer  in  the 
working  of  marble  to-day.  In  a  few  years  you  will 
have  ten  laborers  for  every  one  now  engaged,  and  a 
city  of  50,000  people  will  be  gathered  within  the 
limits  of  Rutland. 

I  have  been  speaking  of  a  line  of  railway  fronj 
Rutland  to  Portland  in  connection  with  the  uecessi- 
ties  of  local  trade.  Is  it  not  wise  to  go  further,  and 
examine  into  its  claims  as  a  portion  of  the  Transcon- 
tinental Railway,  or  of  that  link  of  it  which  more 
immediately  concerns  us,  the  section  between  Port- 
land and  Chicago  ?  The  fact  that  flour  would  bear 
transportation  by  railway  for  1,000  miles  in  compe- 
tition with  water-carriage  by  canal,  was  first  demon- 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     243 

strated  on  the  Grand  Trunk  line,  extending  from 
Lake  Huron  to  Portland,  since  the  completion  of  tlie 
Victoria  Bridge  at  Montreal  without  a  break  or 
delay.  This  demonstration  has  forced  competing 
lines  to  combine,  and  the  rapid  development  of  rail- 
way traffic  against  w^ater  transportation  has  been  one 
of  the  great  facts  of  the  last  ten  years.  In  1858,  the 
New  York  canals  carried  3,665,192  tons  of  merchan- 
dise, against  3,473,725  tons  carried  on  the  railroads  of 
New  York.  In  1867,  the  tonnage  of  the  New  York 
canals  has  increased  to  5,688,325  tons,  against  10,- 
343,681  tons  carried  by  the  railroads  of  New  York, 
the  canals  now  being  worked  to  their  full  capacity. 
The  increase  and  value  of  tonnage  sent  by  canal  and 
railway  amounting  to  $486,816,505  in  value  in 
1858,— increased,  in  1867,  to  $1,723,330,207. 

A  great  item  of  transportation  is  breadstuffs,  and 
the  question  that  the  American  farmers,  whether 
Canadian  or  Republican,  more  especially  the  pro- 
ducers of  Western  wheat,  must  now  consider,  is, 
what  will  be  their  condition  when  the  surplus 
produce  of  the  West  exceeds  our  necessary  home  con- 
sumption, and  the  demands  of  the  English  market  ? 
In  order,  therefore,  to  maintain  our  bread  crop,  our 
first  duty  is  to  cheapen  the  cost  of  transit  to  the  sea- 
board, not  only  from  Buffalo  and  Chicago,  but  from  the 
the  farm  of  the  producer,  two  hundred  miles  west  of 
Chicago,  from  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  rivers  to 
the  northern  Atlantic  seaboard ;  while  we  devote  our 
energies  along  the  seaboard,  and  among  the  hills  of 
New  England,  to  the  development  of  manufactures, 
as  the  necessary,  natural,  and  only  reliable  market 


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244       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IVA  Y. 


for  the  surplus  produce  of  the  West,  and  the  proper 
employment  of  our  native  population.  If  wo  shall 
be  able  for  the  next  few  years  to  keep  out  of  our 
market  the  cheap  products  of  European  labor,  until 
our  manufactures  shall  become  established  iu  New 
England ;  we  may  draw  around  our  water-falls  a  busy 
population,  and  plant  in  every  valley  of  New  Eng- 
land thriving  villages,  with  an  industrious,  inde- 
pendent, and  highly  educated  people. 

Public  enterprise  and  commercial  necessity,  look 
upon  this  continent  as  one  great  field  open  to  devel- 
opment, regardless  of  national  boundaries  or  state 
lines.  They  conform  their  plans  to  physical  facts 
alone.  Lines  of  railway,  starting  from  great  commer- 
cial centres,  or  important  commercial  points,  rely 
upon  the  level  and  the  transit  as  the  only  safe  guide 
to  open  the  way  to  profitable  investments.  The  re- 
straints which  hereditary  customs  and  arbitraiy  laws 
throw  in  the  way  of  railroads  in  the  European  coun- 
tries are  here  comparatively  unknown ;  and  the  enor- 
mous burdens  which  the  peoj)le  of  the  most  favored 
af  the  European  states  are  compelled  to  bear,  are 
scarcely  known  to  the  people  of  this  land,  or  those 
of  British  North  America.  In  the  discussion  of 
railroad  questions,  as  well  as  of  all  commercial 
undertakings,  we  are  bound  to  look  forward  to 
the  time,  not  far  distant,  when  intercourse  shall 
be  free,  among  all  the  English-speaking  people 
of  the  continent,  as  it  is  between  different  states  of 
the  Union  under  our  federal  Constitution,  and  among 
the  several  provinces  now  living  under  the  new  Do- 
minion of  Canada.     Hence  the  necessity  of  looking 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     245 

at  commercial  considerations  alonCy  in  projecting  our 
means  of  coramunications,  whether  of  canal  or  railroad. 
And  the  great  practical  question  meets  us  at  the 
outset,  as  to  what  is  the  chea^iest  method  for  bring- 
ing Western  produce  from  Lake  Erie  to  the  open  sea. 
If  it  be  cheaper,  or  if  it  can  be  made  cheaper,  to  send 
prcxluce  to  Europe  through  the  St.  Lawrence  by  the 
building  of  shi[)  canals,  so  as  to  allow  sea-going  ves- 
sels of  the  size  suited  for  economical  ocean  naviga- 
tion to  pass  in  and  out  of  Lake  Erie,  and  to  the  head 
of  Lake  Superior,  fully  laden — I  must  admit  that 
such  a  work  will  yet  be  accomplished.  But  I  am  not 
prepared  to  admit  that  it  will  ever  be  found  cheaper 
to  take  proiluce  from  the  level  of  Lake  Erie,  565  feet 
above  tide-water,  to  the  open  sea,  through  ship  canals 
into  Lake  Ontario,  and  along  the  St.  Lawrence ;  than 
it  will  be  to  bi'ing  it  all  the  way  by  rail,  when  we 
shall  have  a  line  by  the  most  practicable  route,  thor- 
oughly constructed  and  fully  equipped,  with  two^  or 
even  three  sets  of  tracks,  from  Lake  Erie,  at  Buffalo, 
to  the  harbor  of  Portland,  touching  Lake  Champlain 
at  Whitehall. 

This  brings  me  directly  to  the  question  of  the  cost 
of  transit  by  railway.  This  question  was  put  to  me 
at  Chicago  by  the  President  of  the  Board  of  Trade. 
"  What  will  ultimately  be  the  cost  of  moving  a  bushel 
of  wheat  or  a  barrel  of  flour,  per  mile,  or  per  one 
hundred  miles  and  more,  between  great  commercial 
pc'its?"  I  sought  to  make  the  question  plain  by 
repeating  the  statements  made  to  me  years  since  by 
Moucure  Robinson,  esq.,  of  Philadelphia,  for  many- 
years  the   most  eminent   railroad   engineer  of  the 


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346       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


eountiy.  lie  projected  the  Reading  Railmad,  alwiit 
oue  hundred  inile^^  in  length,  from  Pliihulelphia,  as 
au  outlet  to  the  coal  trade,  whose  headcjuarters  are 
at  Reading.  After  thorough  survey,  he  took  his 
plans  and  estimates  to  England,  and  laid  them  before 
rich  capitalists  of  London.  His  pr()[)osal  >va8,  a  level 
line  of  railway,  one  hundred  miles  in  length,  capable 
of  moving  3,000  tons  per  day,  or  1,000,000  tons  per 
annum — toith  an  inexhaustihle  Hupphj  of  tra^  for 
all  time  to  come — moved  at  the  rate  of  thirty-seven 
cents  per  ton,  for  one  hundred  miles.  This,  he  con- 
tended, would  pay  a  six-per-cent.  dividend  on  the 
entire  cost  of  the  road — its  equii)ments,  stations, 
wharves,  and  other  business  accommodations. 
.  These  plans  and  estimates  were  submitted  by  the 
capitalists,  at  his  request,  to  the  leading  railroad 
engineers  of  England.  After  careful  examination, 
these  engineers  reported  the  correctness  of  all  the 
calculations ;  but  declared  the  propositions  absurd, 
as  no  such  state  of  facts  could  possibly  exist.  Mr. 
Robinson  showed  them  that  his  great  line  was  so 
adjusted  as  to  form  a  level  or  descending  grade  in 
the  direction  of  the  traffic — so  that  a  locomotive 
would  haul  as  many  loaded  cars  from  Reading  to 
Philadelphia,  as  it  would  take  back  empty,  from 
Philadelphia  to  Reading.  This  demonstrated  the 
character  of  the  line.  The  supply  of  business  could 
only  be  ascertained  by  careful  examination. 

The  capitalists  then  proposed  that  if  the  facts 
should  sustain  the  theory,  they  would  furnish  the 
capital.  A  contract  was  executed  on  the  terms  above 
stated,  and  the  most  competent  men,  selected  from  all 


fl 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     247 


Englanil  by  the  cai)italists  themselves,  were  sent  over 
to  examine  the  ground.  If  they  reported  adversely, 
Mr.  Robinson  and  his  friends  were  to  pay  for  their 
time,  and  all  tlie  expenses  of  the  exploration  and 
examination.  Parties  came  over,  rei)orted  the  cor- 
rectness of  Mr.  Robinson's  representations,  and  under 
this  agreement  the  Reading  Railroad  was  undertaken. 
The  company  was  chartered  on  tlie  4tli  of  April, 
1833,  and  the  work  commenced  in  1830;  but  the 
great  revulsion  of  1837  embarrassed  some  of  the 
English  parties,  so  that  it  did  not  go  through  as 
rapidly  as  contemplated.  But  it  was  finally  accom- 
plished, and  was  the  first  great  work  of  the  kind 
opened,  and  enjoys  to  this  day  the  pre-eminence 
of  being  the  most  important  work  engaged  in  the 
coal-trade  of  the  country.  It  made  a  profit  on  cany- 
ing  coal  at  37  cents  per  ton,  and  John  Tucker,  for 
many  years  president  of  the  company,  has  declared, 
that  they  have  carried  coal  at  a  profit  at  25  cents 
per  ton.  At  this  time  they  charge  somewhat  more  ! 
[In  1801,  their  receipts  for  coal  transportation  were 
at  the  rule  of  $1.12  per  ton,  and  in  1862,  $1.12  ;  in 
1803,  $1.75;  in  1804,  $2.75;  in  1805,  $2.82;  in 
1800,  $2.25;  in  1807,  $1.85;  and  in  1808,  $1.77  per 
ton.]  In  1800,  this  company  carried  3,714,084  tons 
of  coal,  receiving  therefor  $8,245,090.  This  business 
slic^htly  diminished  in  1807  and  1808  from  causes 
pUjtdy  temporary  and  accidental.  The  stock  of  this 
company  averaged  $140  to  the  $100  in  1804,  was  as 
hig.i  as  $117  in  1800,  and  is  at  par  at  the  present 
time.  The  mileage  of  the  road,  with  its  branches, 
being  equivalent  to  374  miles  of  single  track,  costing 


,-.  ')i 


24« 


/'YAW  /•  f,V  TEKNA  r/O.VA/,  KAII. W'A  Y. 


)i^a5,L> r);?,r)r>;i,  wi I !i  .rroMs  i'sirnini^'s  of  $1(»,<.M)U,LMH  in 
1S()('»,  Hiul  $S,7'.M/.»a7  in  lHr>S,  lu'conlinj^'  to  tlicir 
|>ul)lisli(>il  rcluni-'.  'I'liis  coiiipany  ('iii|>I()y('(l,  in  ISCiH, 
1(),(U)4  (M  ml -Oil  IN,  Tiu^  jivcr.'iij^tMViri^ht  «»r  <MMil-l.rainH 
77t)  *.)-l(M)  Ions;  (lu>  wciu^lil  of  (Mnply  c'lrM,  per  load, 
[H«r  train,  !.'()(»  tons — showinij^  :i  nel.  load  of  51.'^  tons 
of  ooal  moved  per  Irain,  willi  a  (load  uoii^lit;  of  ro- 
tnrn  caix  i.H»<5  ions  «)nlv  sliou inij  conditions  of  tradt? 
ntdviiown  npon  a!iy  o(lu>r  line  of  railway  in  tlui  world. 
It  ncvi'i'  had  a  conniuMcial  Knccc'ss  liko  the  IVnn- 
svlvania  Railroad,  <  liaiicM-rd  Aj>hl  i.'J,  18'M>,  now 
enihraoini;  a.  niil('aii;e  of  r>.'KS  miles,  op(Mate(l  as  a 
sini:;le  eompany,  costini:^  $r)l,l  l.'i,7l(>,  with  an  ineoino 
in  1808  of  $'J0,().*17,7I8. 

These  (wo  companies,  from  their  favorable  |M)si- 
tion  an.)  location  throni^h  pnxlnctive  n\<jfions  and 
abnr.dant  business,  and  under  sysvcmatic  inaiia^e- 
ment,  may  ln'  cited  us  examples  to  illustrati;  the 
workinjj^  capacity  of  railroads.  But  tluM'e  is  no 
means  (d'  determiniuj;',  eitlu'r  in  tliis  country  or  in 
Europe,  the  ])recise  cost  of  movinjj^  friMi^ht  under  tlu; 
most  favorable  circumstances.  A  railroad  should  be 
ec(>nomically  built,  provid-nl  with  suitable  means  of 
handliuix  freiij:ht,  and  prudently  m*uiag(>(l,  to  accom- 
plish tlu^  hiuhcst  results.  In  our  iriwperience,  the 
cost  of  construction  luus  been  greatly  in  excess  of  what 
is  now  re(]uircd  \(\  build  a  good  line,  and  we  liave  ex- 
perimented on  the  various  methods  of  working,  till  we 
begin  to  see  more  clearly  the  errors  of  former  years. 
Give  railri)ads  enough  to  do,  and  they  will  do  your 
work  cheaply.  Where  the  business  is  small,  cost  of 
transportation  is  necessarily  higli,  as  the  same  ma- 


(i:;* 


rUh:  TRANSCONTINI'.NTAl,  N Alt. WAY.      249 

('.liijK^ry  ji?i(l  <'(|ni))iii('iilH  jiic  r(M|iiir(f(l  to  do  n  hiimII 
l)ilHiiioHH  MH  H  larj^ii  oiM'.  All  i?ici'<'aH(!  of  hiiHiiic.m  mi- 
crcHHciH,  of  coiiiHc,  (,li(!<',oHt,  of  vvopkiiiLi  u  rond,  hut  hy  no 
iiicniiH  ill  proportion  to  tli<^  in<'i'<taH(;  (^f  hiiHincMM;  tiic! 
iidditioiial  <m>h(,  of  luiiidlinj^  incirliaiidiHi!  hciiiL^^  tli<? 
principal  additi(Ui  to  the,  (vxpciisc,  of  inovint^  frci'.dit 
upon  a  niilroad,  with  favoiahhi  f^ia<li(!ntH.  We.  vm\ 
Iciani  Honictliiiijj;  |>i'a(r(i('al,  l»y  looi<iii<^  at  tlic  roal- 
trad(!  of  Kn<^l}iM(l,  -  tiM!  ('(uil-tradc!  of  the.  United 
States,  at  preHc^nt,  heiiiL^  Hinall,  cornpj'n^d  vvitli  that 
of  (J ir.it  Britain.  In  IS].",,  2,0r,.",,ll4  tons  of  coal 
vv(!r(^  l)roiii;lit  to  liOixhui,  and  entirely  hy  KhipH. 
In  18(;7,  (v*>L>U,r)r)()  t(UiH  were  l)roiJ^ht  to  Lon(h)n. 
A  hir^(!  poii.'on  of  tliiw,  or  more  than  .'',()()(>,()0()  tons, 
was  hrougl'j,  l>y  railw.'iy.  TranHportation  of  (;oal  hy 
railway  lias  all  Ixm'Fi  d(!V(ilop(!(l  in  tin?  last  tw<;nty 
years.  Coal  is  now  l)roiit!;lit  to  London  from  StaiVord- 
sliire.  a  distance  of  IHO  n»il(!s,  for  orn;  shilling,  or 
tw(!nty-four  cents  j)erton  ;  thvi  miiuirs  or  mining  com- 
j)anies  owning,  lojiding,  and  unloading  tluiir  own  cars. 
We  may  anticipate;  as  favorahh;  "ates  in  this  country, 
with  the  j)r(>gress  n(;w  witn<!i'sed  in  itnprovfid 
macliincM'y,  and  greatitr  skill  in  maiiiigement.  We 
niiiy,  witli  profit,  take  hissons  from  Kngland,  wluire 
her  railroads  cost  fiv(;  timer  as  much  as  oursp<!i' mil<;, 
and  are  operated  for  about  one  third  the  cost  of 
working  lim^s  in  this  country. 

Looking  jj.t  the  contin(Mit  of  North  AjiKuica  in  it': 
physical  aspects,  we  an;  impressed  with  the  belief, 
tliat  it  is  b(!st  fitted  l)y  nature  of  any  of  the  great 
divisions  of  the  earth  foi*  the  a})ode  of  man  ;  and  that 
iuM'e  will  be  achieved  the  hi!i;hest  results  of  a  true  civi- 


■i 


FT^Wl 


V    M 


250        FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


:■!' 


■'*' 


J    .; 


lization.  It  has  all  tlie  elements  of  wealth  and  materi- 
al power  in  convenient  proximity,  by  the  configuration 
of  its  mountain  ranges  and  the  drainage  of  its  great 
rivers.  Europe  is  broken  up  into  small  sections  by 
mountain  chains,  naturally  leading  to  several  and  sep 
arate  states  and  nationalities.  The  centre  of  Asia  is  one 
vast  desert,  so  elevated  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  as 
to  preclude  the  possibility  of  communication  across  it. 
The  great  empires  of  Russia  at  the  north,  of  China  at 
the  east,  and  of  India  at  the  south,  are  completely 
separated  from  each  other,  having  no  available  means 
of  intercourse,  except  by  distant  voyages  outside  the 
surrounding  seas.  Africa  and  South  America  are 
prohibited,  by  the  laws  of  climate,  from  great  intel- 
lectual development,  or  active  participation  in  the 
affairs  of  the  world. 

The  most  marked  features  of  the  North  American 
continent  are  the  great  basins  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  the  Mississippi,  the  best  grain-producing  regions 
of  the  earth.  The  valley  of  the  Mississippi  and  its 
tributaries  has  1,244,000  square  miles  of  territory, 
about  the  same  area  as  China.  The  St.  Lawrence 
basin  has  an  area  equal  to  470,471  square  miles. 
All  of  this  ten'itory,  amounting  to  1,714,471  square 
miles,  is  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States,  with 
the  exception  of  357,812  square  miles  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  basin,  which  belongs  to  Great  Britain, 
within  the  Dominion  of  Canada.  The  markets  of 
Canada  alone  are  sufficient  to  concentrate  a  vast 
l)usiness,  and  build  up  a  great  metropolis  at  Mon- 
treal ;  and  it  would  soon  accomplish  this  result  but 
from  the  fact  that  the  St.  Lawrence,  below  Montreal, 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.      251 


is  closed  by  ice  for  the  several  months  of  winter, 
compelling  lier  to  Tn^-.ke  use  of  Portland  harbor  for 
her  winter  business.  But  while  Montreal  remains 
under  a  different  commercial  system  from  our  own, 
she  can  never  expect  to  equal  the  commercial  cities 
of  the  United  States,  or  realize  the  great  destiny  that 
awaits  her.  If  goods  could  be  imported  in  bulk  into 
Montreal,  and  sent  to  all  the  Western  and  Southern 
states  as  now  sent  from  New  York  City,  Montreal 
would  at  once  become  the  great  rival  of  New  York, 
and  compete  successfully  for  the  Northwestern  trade. 
Her  growth  is  now  limited  by  the  narrow  confines  of 
Canadian  trade.  She  would  become  imperial,  if  her 
trade  were  continental. 

Canada  is  comparatively  well  supplied  with  rail- 
roads, while  Maine  and  the  lowe^*  Provinces  are 
suffering  for  lack  of  them.  But  railroads  are  spring- 
ing up  at  the  east,  and  promise  to  grow  into  im- 
portance and  into  mileage,  in  Maine,  New  Brunswick, 
and  Nova  Scotii  equal  to  what  has  been  reached  in 
the  five  other  states  of  New  England.  Maine  has 
now  in  operation  652  miles  of  railroad,  and  218 
miles  more  in  process  of  construction :  with  200  miles 
of  additional  line  chartered,  the  construction  of  which 
will  be  entered  upon  at  an  earb  day.  New  Bruns- 
wick has  236  miles  of  railroad  11.  v^peration,  and  125 
miles  more  in  progress,  without  including  any  portion 
of  the  Intercolonial  Railway  line.  Nova  Scotia  has 
145  miles  of  railroad  in  operation,  and  200  miles  more 
in  process  of  construction. 

In  projecting  great  lines  of  communication,  Amer- 
icans are  relieved  from  the  restraints  of  unfriendly 


■•I 

!1 


.1 


'•* 


mn 


^    ■! 


252       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

physical  laws.  They  can  extend  a  line  or  lines  of 
railway  from  the  ports  of  the  Atlantic  to  the  ports  of 
the  Pacific.  But  our  line  will  be  the  most  valuable 
and  the  most  commanding  of  all,  for  it  will  span  the 
continent  at  its  widest  part;  and,  for  its  entire  distance, 
pass  through  a  region  filled  with  elements  of  wealth, 
awaiting  development,  whose  business  shall  equal 
any  section  of  this  continent, — portions  of  it  already 
occupied  by  a  busy  and  prosperous  people.  Great 
physical  facts  control  its  location.  It  may  cross  nar- 
row straits  more  effectually  to  lengthen  the  land-route 
at  the  extreme  east,  because  the  whole  idea  rests 
upon  the  theory,  that  land  conveyance  is  more  expe- 
ditious than  water  carriage, — but  it  is  compelled  to 
touch  Bangor,  Portland,  Rutland,  and  Whitehall  on 
its  way,  before  it  reaches  Rochester,  Buffalo,  and 
Chicago,  the  great  centre  of  continental  trade.  This 
question  has  received  the  attention  of  the  business 
men  of  the  West.  The  Board  of  Trade  of  Chicago, 
after  full  consideration  by  the  most  active  and  saga- 
cious men  of  the  country,  adopted  a  series  of  reso- 
lutions on  this  subject  on  May  21, 1869,  as  follows : 

Resolved,  That  the  construction  of  a  line  of  railroad  from 
Chicago  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  invites  attention  to  the  necessity 
of  securing  a  direct  line  of  railway  from  Chicago  to  the  most 
eastern  shore  of  the  continent  of  North  America,  at  its  widest 
part,  so  as  to  secure  the  shortest  practicable  line  of  transit 
between  the  commercial  centres  of  Europe  and  Asia. 

Resolved,  That  the  immediate  advantage  to  the  commerce 
of  Chicago,  of  a  direct  line  of  railway  to  the  most  eastern  shore 
of  the  continent,  touching  the  unrivalled  harbor  of  Portland, 
Maine,  running  along  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Ontario,  and 
from  thence  by  way  of  Whitehall  and  Rutland,  due  east,  to 
Portland,  over  a  route   recently  chartered  by  the  states  of 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.      253 


Vermont,  New  Hampshire,  and  Maine,  calls  upon  the  Chicago 
Board  of  Trade  to  take  action  in  favor  of  this  line  with  a  view 
to  encourage  the  preparation  at  Portland  of  facilities  for  the 
receipt,  distribution,  and  shipment  of  merchandise  to  and  from 
Chicago,  without  the  delays  attendant  on  other  Atlantic  ports. 

Resolved,  That  the  city  of  Chicago,  at  the  heart  of  the 
continent,  midway  between  its  eastern  and  western  shores,  at 
its  widest  part  over  any  practicable  route  for  a  railroad,  can 
only  realize  her  greatest  destiny  by  adhering  to  the  policy  of 
avoiding  the  circuitous  route  by  w;iy  of  New  York  for  the 
transit  of  passengers,  mails,  and  valuable  merchandise  ;  which 
by  means  of  the  longest  land  conveyance  and  the  shortest  sea- 
voyage,  can  be  transported  from  Hong  Kong  to  London  in 
thirty-eight  days,  and  from  Yokohama  to  London  inside  of 
thirty-five  days. 

Resolved,  That  the  citizens  of  Chicago  and  of  the  central 
portions  of  the  continent  will  welcome  the  completion  of  aline 
of  railway  by  the  most  direct  route  from  Chicago  to  Portland, 
to  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  to  St.  John's,  Newfoundland,  already 
projected,  built,  or  in  progress,  as  a  portion  of  the  Trans- 
continental Railway, — an  event  of  the  greatest  importance 
to  this  city,  second  only  to  the  line  to  the  Pacific, — enabling 
pleasure  tourists,  men  of  business,  and  emigrants  from  Europe 
to  reach  the  heart  of  the  continent,  and  future  seat  of  empire 
in  the  New  World,  without  any  of  the  delays,  restrictions,  or 
detentions  which  come  of  circuitous  routes,  multiplicity  of 
companies,  and  governmental  intervention. 

Resolved,  That  the  laws  of  commerce  disregard  national  or 
artificial  boundaries  ;  that  the  free  transit  of  passengers,  mails, 
and  goods  over  all  natural  and  artificial  routes  in  possession 
of  the  English-speaking  people  upon  the  continent  of  North 
America,  is  the  finality  of  American  statesmanship  ;  that 
canals,  in  connection  with  our  great  chain  of  lakes,  must  ulti- 
mately be  provided,  and  of  suflficient  capacity  to  allow  steam- 
ers suitable  for  economical  ocean-navigation  to  pass  from  the 
ocean  by  way  of  the  lakes,  to  the  heads  of  Michigan  and  Supe- 
rior, with  inward  and  outward  cargoes, — while  the  immediate 
duty  of  the  hour  is  to  secure  ship-canals  between  Lake  Erie 


m 


rf  If 


iirl'-,' 


254       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

and  Lake  Champlain  of  sufficient  capacity  to  transport  the 
produce  of  the  West,  seeking  an  Atlantic  market,  without 
transshipment  between  Chicago  and  Whitehall. 

TIME   AND   DISTANCE. 

The  following  tables  show  the  distance  from  London  to 
Hong  Kong,  via  Newfoundland,  Portland,  Chicago,  and  San 
Francisco  ;  also,  the  time  consumed  : 

FROM  LONDON  TO  CHICAGO. 

Station.  Miles,  Days,  Hours, 

London  to  Holyhead,  rail 263  o  10 

Holyhead  to  Dublin,  steamer 63  o  4 

Dublin  to  Gal  vay,  rail 125  o  5 

Galway  to  St.  John's,  Newfoundland,  steamer.  .1,656  .  10 

St.  John's  to  Cape  Ray ,  .ail 280  (  14 

Cape  Ray  to  Cape  North,  steamer 45  i  3 

Cape  North  to  Pictou,  ra'.l 120  o  5 

Pictou  to  St.  John,  New  Brunswick,  rail 250  o  lo 

St.  John  to  Bangor,  rail 196  o  8 

Bangor  to  Portland,  rail 138  o  6 

Portland  to  Rutland,  rail i63  o  8 

Rutland  to  Schenectady,  rail 85  o  4 

Schenectady  to  Buffalo,  rail 28'/  o  10 

Buffalo  to  Detroit,  rail 230  o  8 

Detroit  to  Chicago,  rail 284  o  10 

Total 4.190  8        20 

CHICAGO  TO  HONG   KONG. 

Chicago  to  Omaha,  rail 494  00  18 

Omaha  to  Promontory  Summit,  rail 1,086  i  10 

Promontory  Summit  to  Sacramento,  rail 690  i  00 

Sacramento  to  San  Francisco,  steamer 140  00  6 

San  Francisco  to  Yokohama,  steamer 4,520  20  00 

Yokohama  to  Shanghai,  steamer 1,085  3  00 

Shanghai  to  Hong  Kong,  steamer 800  2  10 

Total 8,815        28        20 

Grand  Total 13,005        37         16 

And  it  is  proper  in  this  connection  to  say,  that 
these  resolutions  were  adopted  on  full  consideration, 
to  meet  in  some  measure  the  suggestions  of  Portland, 


■'.  J  ■ 


■'     il 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     255 

in  proposing  increased  harbor  accommodations,  and 
ample  facilities  for  handling  Western  produce;  as 
shovvii  by  the  Commissioner's  report  and  map,  made 
under  the  direction  of  the  Superintendent  of  the 
United  States  Coast  Survey.  The  present  commer- 
cial business  of  Portland  is  all  transacted  within  the 
inner  harbor.  The  improvements  contemplated  will 
be  an  entire  addition,  giving  us  two  and  one  half 
miles  of  additional  water  front ;  with  docks  sufficient 
for  the  lying  afloat  of  forty  ocean  steamers,  of  400 
feet  in  length,  at  the  gi,me  time.  And  the  extension 
of  Commercial  Street,  completely  round  the  city 
along  side  of  tide-^vater,  for  the  distance  of  six  miles, 
will  give  us  such  facilities  for  commerce,  as  can 
nowhere  else  be  found  north  of  Norfolk,  Virginia. 
A  leading  New  York  paper  stated  a  few  years  since 
that  it  was  the  opinion  of  the  best  commercial  men 
in  New  York  City,  that  she  could  well  afford  to  pay 
$300,000,000,  or  an  annual  rental  on  that  sum,  if 
she  could  secure  thereby  a  deep  ship  channel  to  the 
open  sea.  She  was  annoyed  that  the  Oi'eat  Eastern, 
,yithout  lighterage,  could  not  enter  her  harbor,  for 
want  of  the  same  depth  of  water  as  at  Portland. 

Let  us  look  at  it,  then,  in  its  practical  aspects. 
One  line  of  railway,  from  the  Pacific  to  Chicago, 
is  completed.  The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  pass- 
ing through  a  better  countr}^,  over  lower  summits, 
with  easier  grades,  is  an  admitted  necessity,  and  will 
shorten,  by  500  miles  and  more,  the  distance  from 
Chicago  to  Japan. 

From  Chicago,  in  latitude  41°  52',  and  in  longitude 
87°  35'  to  Portland,  in  latitude  43°  39',  and  in  longi- 


i^;!^^ 


'.y 


.  i.ift*  j 


4 


256       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  \VA  V. 


3 1.«. 


tude  70°  15',  the  distance  is  871  miles,  conforming, 
in  its  route,  very  nearly  to  the  principle  of  great 
circle-sailing,  adopting  the  lines  already  in  contem- 
plation. From  Chicago  to  St.  Clair  River,  by  the 
Michigan  Air-line  Railroad  and  its  connections, 
already  in  progress,  the  distance  is  but  280  miles, 
over  a  route  with  easy  grades,  in  a  distance  that 
does  not  exceed  by  two  and  a  half  miles  an  air  line. 
From  St.  Clair  River  to  Buffalo,  by  the  chartered 
route  of  the  Erie  and  Niagara  Extension  Railway 
Company,  represented  here  to-day  by  Wm.  A. 
Thompson,  esq.,  of  Canada,  the  distance  to  Buffalo 
will  be  but  170  miles,  over  a  most  favorable  line; 
making  the  entire  distance,  by  rail,  but  450  miles 
from  Chicaijo  to  Buffalo. 

Buffalo  is  the  great  city  of  Lake  Erie.  Its  natural 
advantages  gave  it  importance,  but  it  received  its 
great  impulse  of  growth,  as  it  became  the  western 
terminus  of  the  Erie  Canal.  The  country  has  out- 
grown the  canal,  and  the  ideas  of  Buffalo  have  not 
kept  pace  with  the  progress  of  railways.  She  failed 
to  secure,  at  the  right  time,  a  bridge  across  the  head 
of  the  Niagara  River,  at  her  own  door,  and  is  now 
compelled  to  witness,  from  a  distance,  the  great 
stream  of  travel,  east  and  west,  across  the  Suspension 
Bridge,  instead  of  through  her  own  city.  From 
this  apathy  Buffalo  may  yet  recover ;  and  by 
uniting  with  the  friends  of  the  Erie  and  Niagara 
Railway,  restore  her  lost  advantages.  By  a  direct 
route  from  Buffalo  to  Oswego,  uniting  with  the 
friends  of  the  Lake  Ontario  Shore  Road,  she  can 
secure  a  line  to  Whitehall,  which  shall  make  her 


;i  H- 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.      257 


great 


by 


the 

le  can 

her 


independent  of  the  New  York  Central,  and  a  greater 
city  than  Montreal.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce  of 
Buffalo,  more  interested  than  Chicago  in  the  Trans- 
continental Railway,  or  in  the  section  from  Chicago 
to  Portland,  adopted  resolutions  on  the  subject  on 
May  27,  1869,  as  follows : 

Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Buffalo  have  ob- 
served, with  satisfaction,  the  measures  in  progress  in  the 
states  of  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  and  Vermont,  to  secure  the 
construction  of  a  line  of  railway  from  the  unrivalled  harbor  of 
Portland,  Maine,  to  Buffalo,  by  the  most  direct  and  practicable 
route,  by  way  of  Rutland  Vermont,  Whitehall,  and  south  of 
Lake  Ontario  ;  that  such  a  line  of  railroad  will  command  the 
trade  of  the  lakes  beyond  any  line  practicable  or  possible,  run- 
ning from  Portland  west ;  and,  operated  in  connection  with 
lake  steamers  and  sailing  vessels  from  Buffalo,  upon  Lake 
Erie  and  the  upper  lakes,  will  give  such  additional  facilities  as 
are  now  required  to  take  off  the  produce  of  the  great  West 
which  accumulates  at  Buffalo,  coming  from  Chicago  and  other 
lake  ports. 

Resolved,  That  the  opening  of  a  line  of  railroad  from 
the  commercial  centre  of  New  England,  at  Portland,  to 
the  West,  touching  the  grand  chains  of  lake  and  railroad 
transit  at  Buffalo  ;  giving  a  new  and  more  direct  route  for 
pleasure  tourists,  men  of  business,  and  emigrants,  must  attract 
the  bulk  of  travel  by  this  route  from  the  East ;  not  only  from 
New  England  and  the  lower  British  Provinces,  but  from 
Europe,  on  the  completion  of  the  chain  of  railways  now  built, 
in  progress,  or  projected,  extending  from  this  city  east,  to  the 
most  eastern  shore  of  the  continent, — as  contemplated  by  the 
projectors  of  the  "  Transcontinental  Railway  ; "  which,  by 
means  of  the  longest  land-route  and  the  shortest  sea-voyage, 
will  reduce  the  transit  between  th«  commercial  centres  of 
Europe  and  Asia  to  the  lowest  limits  of  time  and  t  ist, — by 
traversing  the  continent  at  its  widest  part,  by  an  unbroken  line 
of  iron  rail  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  shores  of  the 
Pacific  Seaj. 


i^ 


Ii 
i 


:\^ 


11 


258       FIRST  INTERNA  TI0N4L  RAIL  WA  Y. 

Resolved,  That,  while  as  citizens  of  the  state  of  New  York, 
we  have  a  just  and  becoming  pride  in  the  growth  and  commer- 
cial importance  of  the  city  of  New  York,  we,  at  the  same  time, 
recognize  the  right  and  the  duty  of  opening  new  outlets  to 
other  Atlantic  ports,  for  the  better  and  cheaper  transit  of  the 
accumulating  products  of  the  Northwest,  upon  the  great  lakes  ; 
that  we  recognize  the  advantages  of  Portland  harbor  as  a  natu- 
ral outlet  and  shipping-port  for  Buffalo,  from  its  depth  of  water, 
ease  of  access,  and  completeness  of  shelter, — where  facilities 
for  handling  merchandise  can  be  indefinitely  multiplied,  as 
called  for  by  the  demands  of  trade,  on  the  completion  of 
a  direct  line  of  railway  from  the  navigable  waters  of  Lake 
Erie,  at  Buffalo,  to  the  deep  water  of  Portland  harbor ;  which 
harbor  will  be  reached  in  a  distance  of  540  miles  by  way  of 
Schenectady  and  Rutland,  as  agarnst  457  miles  to  New  York 
City  by  the  Central  and  Hudson  River  lines, — while  by 
straightening  the  line  from  Whitehall  to  Buffalo,  the  distance 
from  Lake  Erie  to  Portland  will  be  reduced  to  480  miles  ;  in- 
suring low  rates  of  freight,  from  the  cheaper  cost  of  construc- 
tion, over  the  existing  lines  of  railway  from  Buffalo  to  New 
York  City. 

And  the  gentlemen  of  this  committee  at  Buffalo 
have  written  letters,  already  read  to  you  to-day,  ex- 
pressive of  their  hearty  concurrence  in  the  measures 
you  have  now  under  consideration. 

From  Chicago  to  Buffalo  will  be  but  450  miles ; 
from  Buffalo  to  Whitehall  280  miles,  by  the  Lake 
Shore  Railroad  to  Fulton,  10  miles  south  of  Oswego ; 
thence  due  east,  north  of  Oneida  Lake, — making  a 
total  of  730  miles  from  Chicago  to  Whitehall.  From 
Whitehall  to  Portland  the  distance  is  but  151  miles 
on  an  air  line,  and  if  you  add  33  miles  more,  on  ac- 
count of  deflections,  it  would  make  the  distance  914 
miles  from  Chicago  to  Portland. 

The  great  feature  of  our  line  from  Portland  to 
Chicago  is  its  advantages  as  a  natural  route  for  im- 


r  .if 


TIf£  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     259 

migrants  to  the  West,  so  well  stated  in  the  resolu- 
tions  of  the  Buffalo  Board  of  Trade.  This  stream 
of  immigration  from  Europe  will  touch  the  nearest 
American  shore,  and  distribute  itself  along  the  line  of 
the  railroads  to  the  West,  according  to  the  attractions 
held  out  to  them.  The  manufacturing  population, 
mechanics,  miners,  mariners,  weavers,  and  spinners, 
forming  an  aggregate  of  291,771  persons  who  came- 
from  Europe  for  the  last  thirteen  years,  will  naturally 
find  employment  in  the  lower  Provinces  and  in  the 
Eastern  States,  which  are  to  be  rapidly  developed 
under  the  new  order  of  things,  which  the  European 
and  North  American  Railway  is  certain  to  introduce. 
One  line  of  ocean  steamers  has  already  proposed 
to  deliver  five  hundred  immigrant  passengers  per 
week  to  the  railroad  at  Halifax,  on  the  completion 
of  the  line  to  the  United  States ;  and  the  railroad 
companies  will  be  able  to  send  a  thousand  immi- 
grants per  day  from  Halifax  west,  after  suitable 
preparation,  cheaply  and  more  expeditiously  than  by 
any  other  means. 

What,  then,  is  the  duty  of  the  people  on  the  route 
from  Portland  to  Rutland  ?  At  this  time  they  can 
determine  the  route  of  the  first  line  built  from  Port- 
land to  the  West.  The  distance  from  Rutland  to 
Portland  on  an  air  line  is  only  136  miles.  A  rail- 
road line  will  be  probably  at  least  twenty  per  cent, 
longer,  following  the  openings  through  the  moun- 
tains, which  the  God  of  nature  in  his  wisdom  has 
provided  ;  and  if  this  line  exceeds  in  length  our  pre- 
vious estimates,  it  will  probably  only  require  a  line 
as  long  as  that  of  the  present  one  from  Rutland  to 
Boston.     A  line  from  Portland  west  is  a  necessity 


•..^ 


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a6o       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


that  admits  of  no  delay ;  and  probably  no  event  has 
or  can  occur  to  Rutland  so  great  in  importance  as 
that  which  shall  make  her  a  leading  station  on  that 
transcontinental  chain,  that  shall  first  sweep  the 
long  line  of  four  thousand  miles  with  the  highest 
speed  of  the  locomotive,  and  command  the  choicest 
traffic  of  the  world.  From  Portland,  east,  the  line  is 
in  progress.  The  eyes  of  the  world  are  already 
turned  toward  the  east,  by  way  of  the  west,  and  we 
already  perceive,  in  the  movements  of  business,  a 
foreshadowing  of  the  great  future  that  awaits  the 
American  republic. 

Every  portion  of  the  world  is  becoming  subject  to 
the  influence  of  railways ;  and  as  nations  become 
advanced  in  civilization,  they  secure  and  enjoy  their 
advantages.  Those  who  make  the  most  use  of  rail- 
roads surpass,  in  the  same  proportion,  other  nations 
and  peoples  in  the  race  of  progress.  The  states  of 
Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  in  the  United  States, 
and  the  kingdom  of  Belgium,  in  Europe,  are  exam- 
ples worthy  of  especial  note  in  illustration.  Mr.  R. 
Dudley  Baxter,  an  able  English  engineer,  in  a  paper 
read  before  the  Statistical  Society  of  London,  in  No- 
vember, 1866,  illustrates  the  influence  and  value  of 
railroads  in  the  creation  of  wealth  and  the  enlarge- 
ment of  business,  by  comparing  the  railways  of  Bel- 
gium and  Holland.     He  says : 

"  Belgium  is  one  of  the  most  striking  instances  of  the  benefit 
of  railways.  In  1830  she  separated  from  Holland,  a  country 
which  possessed  a  much  larger  commerce  and  superior  means 
of  communication  with  other  nations  by  sea  and  canals.  Five 
years  later,  the  total  exports  and  imports  of  Belgium  were  only 


.  Bii  iiiii^ 


^ 


THE  TRANSCONTIl^ENTAL  RAILWAY.     261 


;^io,8oo,ooo,  while  those  of  Holland  were  double  that  amount. 
But  in  1833  the  Belgian  government  resolved  to  adopt  the  rail- 
way system,  and  employed  George  Stephenson  to  plan  railways 
between  all  the  large  towns.  The  law  authorizing  their  con- 
struction at  the  expense  of  the  state  passed  in  1834,  and  no 
time  was  lost  in  carrying  it  out.  Trade  at  once  received  a  new 
impetus,  and  its  progress  since  that  time  has  been  more  rapid 
than  in  any  other  country  in  Europe." 

My  advocacy  of  railroads  has  been  devoted  mainly 
to  their  moral,  social,  and  commercial  value,  rather 
than  as  means  of  money-making  or  the  investment  of 
capital ;  while  railroads  have  been  the  means  of  in- 
fluence and  wealth  to  those  who  built  and  managed 
them,  and  the  foundation  of  fortunes  to  many ;  their 
great  benefits  have  been  received  by  the  community 
at  large, — adding  more  wealth  to  the  holders  of  real 
estate  than  to  any  other  class,  while  they  have  con- 
ferred their  blessings  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  upon 
all.  No  man  has  yet  lived  since  the  advent  of  the  rail- 
way, adecjuate  to  conceive,  much  less  to  describe  in 
words,  the  true  greatness  of  its  mission.  While  sim- 
plest of  all  the  agencies  of  progress,  it  is  the  grandest 
of  man's  inventions.  It  gives  to  one  community  the 
opportunities,  the  enjoyments,  and  the  refinements  of 
every  other ;  it  equalizes  the  burdens  which  come  of 
diversity  of  condition ;  and  lifts  individuals  and  com- 
munities alike  in  the  scale  of  being.  While  genius, 
talent,  and  persistent  enterprise  grasp  the  highest 
rewards,  the  race  is  open  to  all,  and  those  who  win 
are  those  who  try. 

It  is  no  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  cover  the 
broad  plains  of  the  beautiful  valley  in  which  we  are 
assembled,  with  myriads  of  habitations  of  men,  in  the 


♦., 


Ah 


1' 


sJi" 


262        FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


ffai'off  future.  A  few  years  only  will  be  required  to 
change  these  sloping  hill-sides  now  clothed  in  the 
deep  verdure  of  the  summer  forests,  into  cultivated 
fields  and  smiling  farms ;  to  bring  forth  the  rich  treas- 
ures embowelled  in  the  mountains  for  the  uses  of  com- 
merce and  of  art ;  and  a  busy  population  engaged  in 
various  departments  of  human  industry,  may  enjoy  in 
this  healthful  climate,  in  the  land  of  their  birth,  sur- 
rounded by  this  magnificent  scenery,  the  richest  deli- 
cacies, the  most  costly  refinements,  and  the  proudest 
exhibitions  of  art.  Laying  aside  lesser  considerations, 
— lookina;  only  to  the  highest  welfare  of  the  commu- 
nity  in  which  we  live, — let  us  do  all  that  in  us  lies  to 
carry  forward  this  great  work. 

Our  beneficent  Crerttoi",  by  giving  man  the  railway, 
has  endowed  him  almost  with  powers  of  creation,  in 
addition  to  those  of  de>'elopment  and  improvement. 
If  we  cannot,  in  the  shortness  of  our  own  earthly 
dui'ation,  enjoy  in  full  measure  all, — that  those  who 
shall  come  after  us  may, — we  can,  at  any  rate,  enjoy 
much,  and  do  much  to  bring  to  ourselves  and  to 
our  children  the  richest  of  earthly  benefactions. 
Our  friend,  Mr.  Cain,  president  of  your  railroad 
company,  told  us  at  Portland  that  h;.  witnessed  in 
1830  the  opening  of  the  Liverpool  and  Manchester 
Railroad ;  where  England's  colonial  minister,  Huskis- 
Bon,  terrified  by  the  fearful  spectacle  of  a  railroad 
train  in  motion,  rapidly  approaching  him,  threw  away 
his  life  by  an  act  of  insane  fear, — strangely  in  contrast 
with  our  calmness,  at  this  day,  in  witnessing  the  flight 
of  trains  at  a  speed  outstripping  the  bird  upon  its 
wing, — with  its  precious  freight  sitting  in  the  same 


4 


mmm 


THE  TRANSCONTINENTAL  RAILWAY.     263 


security  as  around  the  family  fireside.  It  is  most 
wonderful  to  uote  the  chauges  vvoi'ked  out  by  the 
railway  iu  less  than  forty  years,  siuce  Huskisson's 
death,  or  the  first  locomotive  train  was  started.  But 
I  should  weary  you  if  I  should  attempt  to  describe 
the  prodigious  increase  of  commerce,  the  wonderful 
diffusion  of  wealth,  the  vast  advance  of  human  in- 
telligence, and  the  spread  of  civilization,  traceable 
to  the  railway,  during  these  last  forty  years. 


'•!! 


1  same 


We  are  now  entering  the  fourth  stage  of  our  exist- 
ence as  a  nation.  One  hundred  and  fifty  years  were 
required  to  plant  our  people  in  North  America,  and 
expel  therefrom  other  races  that  struggled  for  its 
dominion.  The  colonization  period  terminated  with 
the  capture  of  Quebec,  in  1759  ;  the  overthrow  of  the 
power  of  France  in  the  New  World  was  peacefully 
consummated  by  the  treaty  of  I'aris  in  17G3.  To 
give  us  independence  of  European  control,  fifty  years 
more  were  required,  terminating  at  the  close  of  the 
last  war  with  Great  Britain  in  1815.  The  last  fifty 
years  Live  been  profitably  spent  in  vindicating  the 
principles  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  put- 
ting an  end  to  chattel  slavery,  endowing  all  men 
wiih  equality  of  political  rights.  This  age  of  internal 
political  conflict  terminated  with  the  overthrow  of 
the  slave-holders'  rebellion,  and  the  election  to  the 
presidency  of  the  hero  of  that  war,  General  Grant. 

The  fourth  stage  in  our  national  career,  on  which 
we  are  Just  entering,  is  the  age  of  material  develop- 
ment, the  limits  of  which  no  finite  mind  can  foresee 
or  comprehend. 


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A  NATIONAL  HIGHWAY. 

MEMORIAL  TO  THE  CONGKESS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

The  Portland,  Rutland,  Oswego,  and  Chicago 
liailvvay  Company,  a  corpor,  *on  established  by  law, 
whose  place  of  business  is  at  Portland  in  the  state  of 
Maine,  respectfr^'y  asks  Congress  to  constitute  the 
railway  of  said  com^iany,  from  the  city  of  Chicago  to 
Portland  harbor,  a  national  highway  /  said  company 
having  the  necessary  aut'.><»rity  to  cousti'uct  and 
maintain  such  a  li.''e  of  railway,  by  virtue  of  a 
charter  for  this  purpose  granted  by  the  Legislature 
of  Maine,  between  the  city  of  Portland  and  the  city 
of  Chicago,  with  the  approval ,  of  other  state  Legis- 
latures ;  arrangements  having  been  already  made  for 
the  formation  of  a  company  undei'  this  Maine  char- 
ter, with  a  common  interest,  from  the  harbor  of 
Portland  to  tlie  naviscable  waters  of  Lake  Ontario  at 
the  city  of  Oswego. 

The  admitted  necessity  of  the  country  to-day  is 
an  improved  system  of  transportation  of  Western 
produce  to  tide-water,  for  which  the  present  system 
of  public  Avorks  is  totally  inadequate.  The  interior 
basin  of  the  continent,  drained  by  the  waters  of  the 
Mississippi  and  St.  Lawrence,  containing  an  area  of 
1,714,471  S(]^uare  miles  of  territoiy,  is  the  great  grain- 

264 


A  NATIONAL  HIGHWAY.  265 

producing  region  of  tlie  globe,  capable  of  supplying 
food  for  tlie  entire  liuinan  family  ;  and  it  was  stated 
by  Messrs.  Baring,  in  u  communication  submitted  to 
the  Oswego  Transcontinental  Railway  Convention,  in 
October,  1869,  that  500,000,000  bushels  of  American 
wheat  could  annually  find  a  market  in  Europe  at  the 
present  cost  of  production,  if  adequate  facilities  ex- 
isted for  its  transportation  to  tide-water.  To  a  clear 
understanding  of  the  relations  of  the  proposed  rail- 
way to  the  commerce  of  the  countiy,  it  is  necessary 
to  notice  the  physical  divisions  of  the  United  States, 
as  follows : 

Square  miles. 

Atlantic  slope 514,416 

Northern  Lake  region ,  .     11 2,649 

Gulf  region 343.935 

Mississii  :>i  Valley  and  tributaries 1,244,000 

Pacific   -ilope,  south  49th  parallel 786,002 

Alaska,  or  '^ussiaii  America 481,276 

Total 3,482,278 

The  boundaries  of  the  republic  have  expanded 
from  an  area  of  815,615  square  miles  of  territory,  at 
the  time  of  the  formation  of  the  <T;overnnient,  tO  their 
vast  i)resent  2)roportions,  while  the  population  has 
risen  from  three  to  forty  millions  in  less  than  one 
hundred  years.  The  increase  of  population  from 
1850  to  1800  was  at  the  rate  of  35.59  per  cent., 
wliile  from  1860  to  1870  the  ratio  of  increase  has  been 
but  22  per  cent.  The  grain-growing  states  of  the 
West  exhibited  a  falling  off  in  the  ratio  of  increase 
from  59  per  cent,  from  1850  to  1860,  to  41.83  per  cent, 
from  1860  to  1870. 


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266 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


During  the  last  ten  years,  there  was  a  lai-ge  in- 
crease of  wealth  and  of  manufacturing  industry  in  the 
northern  seaboard  states,  without  any  corresponding 
increase  of  wealth  in  the  interior  g.ain-growing  states 
of  the  country  in  spite  of  their  increase  of  popula- 
tion ;  consequent  upon  the  inadequate  means  of 
transportation  for  the  bulky  and  perishable  prod- 
ucts of  the  West,  in  the  shape  of  breadstuffs  and 
provisions,  which  require  the  utmost  possible  rapidity 
and  certainty  of  transit  to  their  markets.  Cheap 
food  brouii'ht  to  the  Atlantic  seaboard  states,  would 
be  the  greatest  incentive  and  stimulant  to  their  man- 
ufacturing industry.  The  bracing  climate  and 
abundant  water-power  of  the  New  England  and 
other  northern  states  give  them  facilities  for  man- 
ufacturing for  the  West ;  while  the  abundance  of  raw 
productions  in  the  interior  states  demands  the 
cheapest  possible  transportation  on  their  way  east,  or 
at  the  seaboard.  Northern  New  York  and  New 
England  have  found  it  more  profitable  to  purchase 
breadstuffs  by  the  products  of  the  shop,  than  by  the 
productions  of  the  soil,  one  car-load  of  manufactures 
bringing  ten  of  grain  in  return.  A  wise  political 
economy,  therefore,  looks  for  such  an  adjustment  of 
the  means  of  transit  between  the  interior  and  the 
seaboard,  as  will  give  to  each,  the  greatest  possible 
facilities  in  the  way  of  transportation ;  looking  to  the 
European  markets  for  the  disposal  of  such  surplus  as 
the  West  may  be  enabled  to  supply. 

The  vast  interior  basin  of  the  continent,  so  fitted 
by  nature  for  the  production  of  food,  has  natural 
outlets  two  thousand  miles  from  the  sources  of  their 
rivers,  the  Mississippi  and  the  St.  Lawrence,  almost 


■<• , 


^P*I^<"!P 


fitted 
latural 
>f  their 
almost 


A  NATIONAL  HIGHWAY. 


267 


as  widely  separated  from  each  other  at  their  mouths 
as  the  breadth  of  the  temperate  zone ;  one  closed  by 
ice  in  the  winter  months,  with  an  arctic  climate,  cut- 
ting off  water  navigation  for  nearly  one  half  of  the 
year;  the  other  impeded  by  circuitous  navigation, 
shifting  channels,  and  shoal  water,  at  its  entrance 
into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  with  an  unfriendly  climate, 
subject  to  tropical  diseases.  Hence  the  efforts  of  the 
last  fifty  years  have  been  the  construction  of  artificial 
channels  by  canals,  and  outlets  by  railway  to  the 
sea,  from  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and 
alongside  the  unuavigable  water-courses  of  the  St. 
Lawrence.  These  enterprises,  vast  and  invaluable 
as  they  have  been,  are  due  to  the  enterprise  of  states 
and  individuals,  rather  than  to  the  general  govern- 
ment ;  which  abstained  from  the  work  of  building  or 
aiding  railroads  until  the  public  necessities  compelled 
its  aid  to  the  railroad  to  the  Pacific. 

Transportation  is  the  great  question  of  the  day. 
It  is  well  known  to  all  business  men  that  the  present 
cost  of  transportation  consumes  one  half  the  value  of 
the  breadstuffs  raised  in  the  West ;  while  it  is  equally 
certain  that  by  means  of  a  freight  railway,  with  two 
or  three  sets  of  double  tracks  with  steel  rails,  iron 
bridges,  and  an  adequate  equipment,  breadstuffs  and 
provisions  of  the  West  could  be  delivered  with  cer- 
tainty and  despatch,  and  at  uniform  rates  throughout 
the  year,  from  the  producer  to  the  seaboard,  or  the 
consumer  in  the  New  England  work-shops,  far  below 
the  present  cost  of  transportation ;  and  enable  the 
Western  farmer  to  send  his  products  to  market 
without  the  present  risks  and  fluctuations  which 
demoralize  agricuiuural  labor,  and  subject  the  agri- 


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268       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

cultural  producers  of  the  West  to  the  condition  of 
dependents  upon  brokers  and  speculators, — a  combi- 
nation of  railroad  men  putting  up  the  price  of  trans- 
portation at  the  close  of  water  navigation  at  their 
pleasure. 

The  completion  of  the  Pacific  Railroad  has  changed 
the  course  of  trade  to  the  East,  and  is  destined  at  no 
distant  day  to  revolutionize  the  commerce  of  the 
world.  The  completion  of  the  European  and  North 
American  Railway,  affording  the  shortest  time  of 
transit  between  the  commercial  centres  of  the  United 
States  and  Europe,  will  conti'ibute  to  effect  a  change 
in  the  routes  of  commerce,  especially  the  lines  of 
travel.  All-through  lines  of  railway  now  projected 
look  to^vard  the  East  Foreland  of  tlie  continent  as  the 
plane  over  which  to  deliver  and  receive  European 
passengers  and  valuable  merchandise.  The  comple- 
tion of  the  line  from  San  Francisco  to  Chicago,  a 
distance  of  two  thousand  three  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  miles  ;  and  the  completion  of  a  direct  line  from 
Chicago  to  Portland,  one  thousand  miles ;  connecting 
here  with  the  European  and  North  American  Rail- 
way line,  in  rapid  progress  with  its  connections  to 
Halifax,  a  distance  of  six  hundred  miles ;  to  be  ulti- 
mately extended  to  the  eastern  shore  of  Newfound- 
land, one  thousand  and  three  miles  from  Portland, 
renders  it  certain,  that  the  passage  from  Hong  Kong 
to  London  by  this  route  can  be  made  in  thirty-four 
and  one  half  days'  time  ;  and  on  the  completicm  of 
the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  reducing  the  distance 
from  Chicago  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  at  Puget  Sound, 
by  more  than  three  hundred  miles,  and  shortening 
the  ocean  voyage  from  Yokohama  over  eight  hun- 


liiin- 


A  NATIONAL  HIGHWAY.  269 

dred  miles,  the  time  of  transit  from  Hong  Kong  to 
London  will  be  reduced  to  thirty  days  ;  while  from 
Lake  Superior  to  Portland,  by  way  of  Mackinaw 
across  the  northern  peninsula  of  Michigan  to  the  St. 
Clair  lliver,  a  shorter  route  will  be  found  to  the  sea- 
board at  Portland ;  and  it  is  obvious  at  a  glance 
upon  the  map,  that  a  line  through  British  territory 
from  the  Sault  St.  Marie  to  Montreal  by  the  way  of 
Lake  Nipissing  and  the  Ottawa,  will  afford  the 
shortest  possible  route  between  the  tide- waters  of 
the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  oceans,  above  the  40th  par- 
allel of  latitude. 

The  following  table  shows  the  distance  and  the 
length  of  time  required  to  make  the  voyage  around 
the  world,  on  the  completion  of  the  several  links 
herein  contemplated,  in  the  chain  of  railroads  upon 
the  continent  of  North  America  east  of  Chicago ;  re- 
ducing the  journey  around  the  globe  to  sixty-nine  days 
and  eleven  hours,  against  eiglity  days,  the  time  now 
required. 

FROM    LONDON   To    HONC.    KOr<0. 

Station.  Miles.  Days.      Hours. 

London  to  Holyhead,  rail. .....      263  o  8 

Holyhead  to  Dublin,  steamer 63  o  5 

Dublin  to  Galway,  rail 125  o  4 

Galway  to  St.  John's,  N.  F.,  steamer 1,656  5  o 

St.  John's  to  Cape  Ray,  rail 250  o  10 

Cape  Ray  to  Cape  Nortli,  steamer. 60  o  4 

Cape  North  to  Pictou,  rail 120  o  4 

Pictou  to  St.  John,  N.  B.,  rail 250  o  '■> 

St.  John  to  Bangor,  rail 205  o 

Bangor  to  Portland,  rail 13ft  o  4 

Portland  to  Chicago,  rail 1,000  I  6 

Chicago  to  San  Francisco,  rail -,337  «*  o 

San  Francisco  to  Yokohama,  steamer. .  .  4,520  !•  O 

Yokohama  to  Shanghai,  steamer 1,085  4  • 

Shanghai  to  Hong  Kong,  steamer 5S5  2  • 

Total 12,707  34  " 


270        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


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FROM  HONG  KONG  TO  LONDON. 

Station,                                    Miles,  Days.      Hours. 

Hong  Kong  to  Calcutta,  steamer 3.500  12  o 

Calcutta  to  Bombay,  rail 1,229  3  o 

Bombay  to  Port  Said,  steamer 4,060  14  o 

Port  Said  to  Marseilles 1,440  4  o 

Marseilles  to  Paris,  rail 475  i  o 

Paris  to  London 252  i  o 

10,956  35 

12,707  34  II 

Grand  total 23,663  69  11 

Of  tlie  23,663  miles  of  transit  around  the  globe 
by  way  of  San  Francisco,  and  through  the  great 
cities  of  Europe  and  Asia,  6,300  miles  are  by  rail, 
and  17,342  miles  by  steamer ;  and  while  by  the 
American  route  from  London  to  China  there  is  an 
increase  of  distance  ov^er  the  Red  Sea  route,  4,345 
miles  of  the  distance  are  traversed  by  rail,  against 
1,956  miles  by  way  of  the  East.  While,  therefore, 
it  is  obvious  to  every  one  that  the  shortest  line  of 
transit  in  point  of  time,  around  the  globe,  will 
eventually  be  secured,  no  matter  how  many  delays 
occur  before  reaching  final  success ;  and  while  we 
regard  all  the  advantages  of  the  Transcontinental 
Railway  as  sui'e  to  follow  in  the  train  of  its  accom- 
plishment ;  our  immediate  purpose  is  so  to  construct 
the  line  in  question  as  to  reduce  at  once  the  cost 
of  bringing  the  productions  of  the  interior  to  the 
open  markets  of  the  sea,  where  they  can  be  handled 
to  the  greatest  advantage,  and  at  the  cheapest  rates. 

If  the  producer  of  Western  breadstuffs  and  pro- 
visions can  be  assured  of  ample  facilities  for  bringing 
his  products  to  tide-water  at  all  times,  at  reasonable 
T2iiQ&,,  permanently  fixed  and  uniform  throughout  th^ 


V^A       ?<■ 


A  NATIONAL  HIGHWAY. 


271 


year ;  with  opportiMities  to  enlarge  the  means  of 
transit,  as  the  demand  for  transportation  increases, 
there  is  no  limit  that  can  yet  be  assigned  for  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  United  States.  By 
the  building  of  a  trunk  line  of  railway  from 
Chicago  to  Portland,  capable  of  delivering  500,000,- 
000  bushels  of  wheat  annually,  or  15,000,000  tons 
per  year  at  tide-water,  the  cost  of  transit  of  wheat 
might  be  reduced  to  ten  cents  per  bushel;  and  deliv- 
eries made  on  shipboard  at  Portland,  within  one 
week's  time  of  its  receipt,  and  generally  within  four 
days.  The  price  of  transportation  by  water  from 
Portland  to  Liverpool  would  regulate  itself  and 
reach  the  lowest  rate  of  ocean  transit  ever  known, 
from  the  abundant  supply  of  freights  going  forward, 
and  the  certainty  of  return  cargoes,  to  the  extent  of 
merchandise  offering  in  Europe,  for  the  American 
markets. 

In  constructing  lines  of  railway  upon  the  continent 
of  North  America,  regard  should  be  had  to  geographi- 
cal and  commercial  laws,  rather  than  to  lines  of  state 
or  national  boundary.  The  spirit  shown  by  the 
people  and  government  of  Maine  and  the  Bi-itish 
Provinces  in  the  carrying  out  of  the  Grand  Ti'unk 
Kailway,  and  of  the  European  and  North  American 
Railway,  indicated  a  strong  tendency  toward  closer 
commercial  unity  between  the  United  States  and  the 
continental  Provinces  of  British  North  America ; 
and  the  extraordinary  spectacle  of  an  Inter,  oionial 
Railway  "  entirely  through  British  territor}^,"  forced 
upon  the  new  Dominion  of  Canada  by  the  imperial 
government  of  England,  regardless   of   commercial 


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a7a       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

laws  and  of  natural  routes  of  travel,  by  a  circuitous 
route  through  an  uninhabited  country,  to  subserve 
imperial  wants  and  necessity,  imposing  a  cruel  bur- 
den upon  the  resources  of  the  Dominion  ;  is  evidence 
of  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  Great  Britain  to  excite 
and  foster  a  spirit  of  hostility  toward  the  people 
and  government  of  the  United  States,  at  war  with 
the  spirit  of  the  age.  The  United  States  govern- 
ment cannot  shut  its  eyes  to  this  obvious  purpose  of 
the  imperial  government,  and  it  should  be  prepared 
to  meet  any  threatened  military  adv^antage.  A  line 
of  railroad  "  entirely  through  "  American  territory, 
from  its  great  harbor  in  the  East,  by  the  most  direct 
route  to  the  basin  of  the  great  lakes,  ready  to  meet 
upon  our  own  soil  and  maintain  with  equal  effi- 
ciency, military  preparations  along  our  entire  northern 
frontier,  from  our  eastern  boundary  at  the  St.  Croix 
to  the  farthest  west  of  parallel,  and  competing  mili- 
tary works,  is  an  obvious  necessity  ;  for  the  building 
of  the  Intercolonial  Railway,  imposed  upon  the  Do- 
minion government,  as  a  condition  of  union,  was  urged 
upon  military,  and  not  upon  commercial,  grounds. 
While  it  is  our  duty  to  meet  this  menace  of  Eng- 
land face  to  face,  a  far  higher  purpose  than  national 
antagonisms  leads  us  to  seek  to  carry  out  this  United 
States  American  Transcontinental  line.  Its  con- 
struction will  enlarge  commerce,  promote  civil  order, 
soften  national  asperities,  and  give  to  all  men  under 
different  governments  greater  means  of  individual 
enjoyment,  and  new  facilities  for  the  acquisition  of 
property.  This  is  the  tnie  purpose  of  the  railway.  Men 
and  nations  can  in  no  other  way,  so  effectually  pro- 


Do. 


A  NATIONAL  HIGHWAY. 


273 


mote  public  interest  and  private  advantage,  as  by 
the  extension  of  railways,  owned  and  operated  in  the 
interests  of  business,  and  for  the  ecpial  advantage 
of  all. 

Portland  harbor  has  great  natui'al  advantages  for 
European  trade  over  any  other  Atlantic  poi*t,  fi-ora 
its  great  depth  of  water,  completeness  of  shelter,  and 
nearness  to  the  West  and  to  Europe.  The  foreign 
commerce  of  Portland  has  increased  so  that  her  ex- 
ports to  foreign  countries  in  1870  were  $15,050,407, 
greater  than  those  of  Boston  by  $3,566,774  in  that 
year.  According  to  the  statement  of  the  Commis- 
sioner of  the  Land  Office,  in  his  elaborate  map  of 
1868,  showing  the  commercial  relations  of  the 
United  States  with  various  parts  of  the  world, 
the  distance  from  Philadelphia  to  Liverpool  is  3,260 
miles,  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  3,050  miles, 
from  Boston  to  Livei-pool  2,930,  from  Portland  to 
Liverpool  2,770  miles,  while  from  Montreal  to 
Liverpool  by  the  St.  Lawrence  route  it  is  2,814 
miles,  from  Quebec  to  Liverpool  2,634  miles,  and 
from  Halifax  to  Liverpool  2,500  miles.  The  ac- 
commodations for  business  in  the  way  of  wharves 
and  docks  at  Portland  are  altogether  superior  to 
those  of  any  city  of  the  United  States,  while 
preparations  have  here  been  made  for  a  great  en- 
largement of  ^vharf  and  dock  accommodations  by 
mekns  of  a  marginal  street,  for  miles,  upon  tide- 
water, for  the  accommodation  of  railroad  tracks. 

Looking  at  the  demand  for  American  breadstuffs 
in  Europe,  and  the  vast  capacity  of  our  interior 
states  to  supply  this  demand,  lacking  only  a  proper 


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outlet;  by  securing  cheap  transportat'ion  from  the  in- 
terior to  the  seaboard,  we  are  constrained  to  believe 
that  the  increased  value  of  a  single  crop,  added  to  it 
by  the  construction  of  the  proposed  railway^  will 
more  than  equal  the  entire  loan  to  be  affoi'ded  the 
company  to  carry  out  this  project.  But  the  company 
does  not  ask  the  United  States  government  to  ad- 
vance a  dollar  from  its  treasury,  or  risk  a  dollar  in 
the  form  of  a  loan,  except  with  the  most  ample  secu- 
rity ;  while  the  company  itself,  by  uniting  the  inter- 
ests of  the  East  and  the  West  upon  this  grand 
national  and  international  enterprise,  will  relieve  the 
"West  from  the  great  burden  that  now  bears  upon 
its  prosperity,  and  benefit  alike  eveiy  section  of  the 
country. 

January,  1871 


'f-4 


A  BILL  TO  SECURE  CHEAP  TRANSPORTA- 
TION OF  BREADSTUFFS  AT  UNIFORM 

RATES. 

Be  it  enacted  hy  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives of  the  United  States  of  America  in  Congress 
assembled^ 

That  the  Postmaster-General  is  hereby  authonzed 
to  enter  into  contract  with  the  Portland,  Rutland, 
Oswego,  and  Chicago  Railway  Company,  for  the  use 
of  its  line  in  the  carrying  of  tho  mails  between  the 
city  of  Chicago,  in  the  state  of  Illinois,  and  the  city 
of  Portland,  in  the  state  of  Maine,  on  terms  and 
conditions,  in  this  act  set  forth  ;  in  case  said  railway 
company  shall  enter  into  contract  with  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  to  construct  and  maintain 
a  double-track  line  of  railway,  with  an  adequate 
equipment  and  with  steel  rails  and  iron  bridges, 
from  the  navigable  waters  of  Portland  harboi*,  by 
the  most  direct  practicable  route  due  west  or  wes- 
terly, across  the  states  of  Maine,  New  Hamp- 
shire, Vermont  and  New  York,  to  the  navigable 
waters  of  Lake  Ontario  at  the  city  of  Oswego,  and 
thence  by  the  most  direct  practicable  line  to  the  city 
of  Chicago  in  the  state  of  Illinois. 

Sec.  2.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  whenever 
said  company  shall  have  completed  i^riy  consecutive 

275 


If 


I  ! 


276        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 


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miles  of  any  portion  of  said  line  ready  for  the  service 
contemplated  by  this  act,  as  a  first-class  railroad,  the 
President  of  the  United  States  shall  appoint  three 
commissioners  to  examine  the  same  and  report  to  him 
in  relation  thereto ;  and  if  it  shall  appear  to  him  that 
Awrty  consecutive  miles  of  said  railroad  have  been 
completed  and  equipped,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treas- 
ury shall  issue  to  said  company,  bonds  of  the  United 
States  of  $1,000  each,  payable  in  thirty  years  after 
date,  bearing  6  per  cent,  interest  per  annum,  payable 
semi-annually,  on  the  first  days  of  January  and  July 
in  each  year,  in  lawful  money  of  the  United  States 
to  the  amount  of  fifty  of  said  bonds  per  mile ;  and  so 
on  in  like  manner  as  each  forty  miles  of  said  line  are 
completed,  upon  the  certificate  of  said  commission- 
ers; which  said  bonds  delivered  to  said  company 
shall  ipso  facto  constitute  a  first  mortgage  on  the 
whole  line  of  the  railroad  of  said  comj>any,  together 
with  its  rolling  stock,  fixture,  and  property  of  every 
kind  and  description. 

Sec.  3.  And  he  itfurtlier  enacted^  That  the  grants 
aforesaid  are  made  upon  condition  that  said  company 
shall  pay  said  bonds  at  maturity,  with  the  interest 
thereon ;  and  shall  give  said  railroad  a  telegraph  line 
connected  therewith,  in  repair  and  use ;  and  shall  at 
all  times  transmit  despatches  over  said  telegraph 
lines,  and  transport  mails,  troops,  munitions  of  war, 
supplies,  and  public  stores,  upon  said  railroad  for  the 
government,  whenever  required  to  do  so  by  any  de- 
partment thereof;  and  the  government  shall  at  all 
times  have  the  preference  in  the  use  of  the  same,  for 
all  the  purposes  aforesaid  at  fair  and  reasonable  rates. 


M  ' 


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TO  SECURE  CHEAP  TRANSPORTATION.     277 


Sec.  4.  Ami  he  it  fuHlier  enacted^  That  said  rail- 
road corporation  may  establish  for  its  sole  benefit 
fares,  tolls,  and  charges  upon  all  passengers  and 
property  conveyed  or  transported  on  its  railroad  at 
such  rates  as  may  be  determined  by  the  directors 
thereof,  and  may  from  time  to  time  by  its  directors 
regidate  the  use  of  its  road  ;  provided  that  such  rates 
of  fare,  tolls  and  chai*ges  and  regulations  shall  at  all 
times  be  subject  to  revision  and  alteration  by  Con- 
gress or  such  officers  or  persons  as  Congress  may 
api)oint  for  the  purpose ;  and  in  case  no  such  officer 
is  api>ointed  by  Congress  or  under  any  law  of  Con- 
gress, the  Postmaster-General  is  hereby  vested  with 
all  the  powers  necessary  to  regulate  the  use  of  said 
road,  and  fix  the  rate  of  fares,  tolls,  and  charges  as 
contemplated  by  this  act. 

Sbc.  5.  And  be  it  farther  eiiacted,  That  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  United  States  may  at  any  time  take 
and  possess  the  road  of  said  com[)any  with  its  fran- 
chises and  property  after  one  year's  notice  in  writing ; 
paying  such  compensation  therefor  as  may  be 
awarded  by  three  commissioners  appointed  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  who  shall  be  duly 
sworn  to  appraise  the  same  justly  and  fairly;  and 
upon  the  payment  of  any  such  award  or  the  ten- 
der of  payment  thereof  to  said  company,  the  title 
of  said  railroad  shall  vest  in  and  become  the  prop- 
erty of  the  United  States  government. 

Sec.  6.  And  he  it  further  enacted,  That  on  the 
completion  of  said  line  of  railway  from  the  navigable 
waters  of  Portland  harbor  to  the  navigable  waters  of 
Lake  Ontario  at  Oswego,  with  suitable  docks,  wharves 


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378 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


and  appurtenances  for  the  handling  of  merchandise 
and  property,  the  Postmaster-General  or  other 
officer  appointed  by  law,  shall  establish  the  rates  of 
transjwrtation  both  for  j>a8aengers  and  freight  upon 
all  throui'h  business  between  tide-water  at  Portland 
and  the  city  of  Oswego ;  which  rates  shall  not  be 
changed  without  the  consent  of  the  Postmaster- 
General,  or  other  officer  ap[)ointed  by  law;  and  the 
same  be  uniform  throughout  the  year. 

Sec.  7.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  whenever 
in  the  opinion  of  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
the  business  of  the  country  shall  require  the  build- 
ing and  laying  down  of  an  additional  double-track 
line  alongside  the  existing  road-bed  of  said  company 
and  ^vithin  the  limits  of  its  right  of  way,  or  any 
portion  thereof,  and  shall  give  notice  thereof  to  said 
company,  said  railway  company  shall  forthwith 
proceed  to  construct  and  maintain  an  additional 
double-track  line  in  conformity  with  the  notice  as 
aforesaid ;  and  on  the  completion  of  forty  consecutive 
miles  of  said  new  line  ready  for  the  service  contem- 
plated by  this  act,  fifty  bonds  per  mile,  of  the  tenor 
aforesaid,  shall  in  like  manner  be  delivered  to  said 
company,  and  so  in  the  same  manner  as  each  forty 
miles  are  completed,  upon  the  certificate  of  said  com- 
missioners; which  said  bonds  shall  constitute  a 
mortgage  on  the  whole  line  of  railroad  of  said  com- 
pany, subject  only  to  the  piior  mortgage  of  the 
United  States,  to  require  from  time  to  time  as  the 
wants  of  business  shall  require  additional  double- 
track  lines  to  be  constructed  and  maintained  by  said 
company  upon  the  terms  in  this  act  set  forth ;  the 


Ll.'i 


TO  SECURE  CHEAP  TRANSPORTATION.     279 

government  holding  a  lieu  upon  said  lines,  its  rolling 
stock,  fixtures,  and  other  property  as  contemplated 
in  this  act,  with  a  light  to  purchase  the  same  at  the 
pleasure  of  the  government  as  herein  before  set 
forth;  and  the  rights  of  the  government  to  the 
control  of  said  line,  and  the  rights  of  the  company 
shall  continue  the  same  after  additional  double-track 
lines  are  built  as  provided  by  this  act,  in  case  a 
single  double-track  line  is  built. 

Sec.  8.  And  he  it  further  enacted,  That  whenever, 
in  the  opinion  of  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
an  extension  or  extensions  of  said  line  shall  be  re- 
quired, beyond  the  limits  mentioned  in  this  act,  it 
shall  be  lawful  for  the  President  of  the  United 
States  to  notify  said  company  to  complete  and  main- 
tain such  extensions,  with  one  or  more  double-track 
lines,  on  the  terms  in  this  act  set  forth  in  reference  to 
its  main  line.  But  said  company  shall  not  be  com- 
pelled to  build  such  additional  lines,  exceeding  in  all 
two  hundred  miles  in  length,  without  the  consent  of 
said  company  in  writing,  and  it  shall  be  lawful  for 
said  company  to  purchase  any  existing  line  of  railway 
that  may  be  found  necessary  or  convenient  in  the 
carrying  out  of  the  provisions  of  this  act. 

Sec.  9.  And  be  it  furtlier  enacted,  That  before 
entering  upon  the  work  of  construction  of  said  line 
of  railway,  the  location  thereof  shall  be  approved  by 
a  competent  engineer,  appointed  by  the  President  of 
the  United  States. 

Sec.  10.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  rail- 
way of  said  company  is  hereby  declared  to  be  a 
national  highway,  and  a  post-road ;  and  the  govern- 


i'  ^1 

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a8o       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


ment  of  the  United  States  shall  have  the  ricfht  to 
pass  all  needful  laws  for  the  protection  of  said  road 
and  the  public ;  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  each  state 
through  which  said  line  shall  pass  to  cede  jurisdic- 
tion over  the  territory  occupied  by  said  railroad 
company,  and  said  railroad  company  shall  be  subject 
to  no  state  or  municipal  tax,  and  be  subjected  to  no 
other  burdens  or  obligations,  except  those  imposed 
by  its  charter  or  by  the  laws  of  the  United  States. 
Provided^  however,  that  nothing  in  this  act  contained 
shall  relieve  said  company  from  any  of  its  duties, 
liabilities,  and  obligations  to  the  public  and  to  the 
several  states  through  which  it  passes,  as  set  forth  in 
its  charter,  or  the  resj^ctive  charters  under  which  the 
same  is  built. 

Sec.  11.  And  he  itfurtJier  enacted ^  That  in  case  of 
failure  of  said  company  to  pay  the  interest  due  on 
the  bonds  issued  by  the  government  to  aid  its  con- 
stru  .tion,  or  the  principal  thereof,  as  they  severally 
mature,  f  r  fail  to  observe  and  fulfil  the  regulations 
prescribed  as  aforesaid  by  authority  of  the  United 
States  government ;  it  shall  be  tne  duty  of  the  Post- 
master-General to  take  possession  of  said  line,  and  all 
the  property  of  said  company,  and  report  the  same 
to  the  President  of  the  United  States  to  be  by  him 
laid  before  Congress ;  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  in  that 
event  of  the  Postmaster-Genei'al,  to  operate  said  line 
at  the  expense  of  the  company,  by  projjer  officere  by 
him  appointed,  for  which  authority  is  hereby 
granted ;  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  Congress  to  pass 
all  necessary  laws  for  the  protection  of  the  govern- 
ment and  the  public,  and  make  such  disposition  of 


t?i 


I't 


TO  SECURE  CHEAP  TRANSPORTATION.     281 


tlie  propei-ty  of  saul  coinpjiiiy  as  to  justice  and  equity 
niav  appertain. 

Sec.  12.  And  he  it  further  enacted,  That  after  the 
payment  of  the  bonds  of  the  United  States  issued  by 
the  government  to  aid  tlie  construction  of  said  rail- 
way, the  goverinnent  of  the  United  States  shall 
retain  control  of  said  road  in  the  same  manner  as 
before,  for  the  regulation  of  the  transportation  of 
passengers  and  freight;  and  all  fares,  tolls,  and 
charges  upon  all  passengers  and  property  conveyed 
or  transpt)rted  upon  its  road  sliall  be  approved  by 
the  Postmaster-General  or  other  officer  appointed  by 
Congress  or  under  any  law  of  Congress;  so  as  to 
prevent  any  unnecessary  increase  in  the  price  of 
transportation  after  such  bonds  are  paid,  and  it  is 
made  the  duty  of  the  government  to  maintain  and 
secure  cheap  transportation  over  said  line  at  uniform 
rates  ami  througlwut  the  year.  And  it  shall  be 
lawful  for  said  company  at  any  time  to  pay  the 
bonds  of  the  United  States  issued  to  aid  the  con- 
struction of  said  line,  or  an  e([uivalent  amount  of 
United  States  bonds  bearing  the  same  rate  of  inter- 
est, or  any  portion  thereof,  at  its  pleasure,  and  dis- 
charge to  that  extent  its  indebtedness  to  the  gov- 
ernment; and  it  may  receive  from  the  government 
bonds  of  the  United  States  bearing  a  lesser  rate  of 
interest  than  six  per  cent.,  if  such  shall  be  the  pleas- 
ure of  the  company  at  the  time  that  any  issue  of 
bonds  is  made. 

January,  1871. 


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THE  FATHER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZATION 

IN  AMERICA; 

A    VINDICATION    OF   THE    CLAIMS    OF    SIR    FERDINANDO 

GOUGES. 

PELIVERED  BEFORE  THE  HISTORICAl,  SOCIETIES  OK   MAINE  ANU  NEW  YORK, 

1859. 

Two  events,  of  ever  increasing  importance,  have 
marked  the  progress  of  tliis  continent,  destined  here- 
after to  be  regarded  as  the  great  epochs  of  its  history 
— the  grant  of  authority  from  the  British  crown,  un- 
der which  colonies  were  planted  in  America;  and 
the  final  surrender  of  the  continent  to  the  English 
race,  by  the  conquest  of  Canada  from  France, — the 
former  obtained  through  the  efforts  of  the  sagacious 
and  enterprising  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  the  latter 
achieved  by  the  heroic  valor  of  Wolfe.  France,  at 
one  time,  dividing  with  Spain  the  whole  of  North 
America,'  saw  its  power  broken,  and  its  dominion  in 
the  New  World  extinguished,  when  at  the  charge  ol 
the  British  bayonet,  the  hitherto  invincible  columns 

•  On  the  evening  on  which  this  paper  was  read  in  New  York,  there  was 
presented  to  the  Historical  Socictr  a  Spanish  globe,  dated  1542,  engraved 
on  copper,  which  shows  the  boundaries  of  Florida,  and  of  "  Verrazzan  or 
New  France" — Florida  extending  as  high  as  the  33°  north, — New  Franca 
reaching  north  to  Terra  Corterealis.  This  globe  is  one  of  the  most  valuabltt 
contributions  yet  made  to  the  history  of  North  America. 

a8a 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  T/ON,    283 


■t 


of  Montcalm  broko  and  fled  fiom  the  Plains  of 
Abraham,  and  the  morning  sunlight  of  September 
18,  1759,  revealed  to  the  disappointed  soldiei-s  of 
De  Levis  the  pi'oud  Cross  of  St.  (leorge,  floating  in 
triumph  over  the  ancient  citadel  of  Quebec.  The 
dominion  of  a  continent  was  changed  by  a  single 
encounter;  and  English  institutions  are  now  planted, 
as  the  fruits  t)f  that  victory,  over  a  region  of  territory 
greater  than  all  Eu/ope,  extending  from  the  Northern 
Ocean  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  Pacific  seas.  The  future  of  this  concpiering 
race,  no  statesman  or  philosoi)her  of  this  day  is  able 
to  foretell.  My  purpose  is,  to  trace  i\w.  earliest 
practical  efforts  to  pla.t  it  in  America,  and  to  vin- 
dicate the  claims  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  the  pro- 
prietor of  my  native  State,  to  the  proud  title  of 
Fatheu  of  Enolisu  Colonization  ix  Ameiuca. 

The  greatness  of  England  is  due  to  her  coloniza- 
tion in  America.  She  was  but  a  second-rate  power 
at  the  commencement  of  the  seventeenth  century,  till 
raised  to  greatness  by  the  iron  will  of  Cronivvell. 
After  the  destruction  of  the  Dutch  fleet,  the  compiest 
of  Acadia  from  France  in  1654  ;  of  Jamaica  from 
Spain  in  1655;  the  establishment  of  her  navigation 
laws  and  her  protective  policy,  she  was  admitted  as 
an  equal  into  the  community  of  nations.  The  Vene- 
tians and  the  Swiss  sought  the  friendship  of  the 
Protector.  All  the  northern  nations  respected  his 
power,  and  the  great  Mazarin  acknowledged  his 
authority  as  the  lawful  sovereign  of  Great  Bi'itain. 

The  necessity  of  encouraging  the  colonies  pre- 
viously planted  in  North  America,  led  to  the  Navi- 


1 1. 


i 


984 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


!■! 


H1^i 


giition  Act  of  Cromwell,  in  1651,  which  was  the 
foundation  of  the  inaritirae  superiority  of  Knglaiid. 
That  Htatute  remained  for  nearly  two  centuries,'  and 
secured  to  Eni^land  the  entire  trade  of  all  her  colo* 
nies.  It  stimulated  the  commercial  enterprise  of 
her  people.  It  allowed  Htrangers  no  importations, 
uidess  of  their  own  products  in  their  own  vessels. 
This  act  fell  with  crushing  weight  on  the  trj»(le  of 
Holland,  and  left  England  mistress  of  the  commerce 
of  Europe.  The  protective  policy  of  Cromwell,  also, 
gradually  drew  to  lier  own  shores  the  manufactures 
of  Holland  and  Flanders,  and  finally  those  of  France ; 
after  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes,  by  Louis 
XIV.,  on  October  24,  1085.  This  celebrated  edict 
o^  Henry  IV.,  in  1598,  secured  liberty  of  conscience 
and  perfect  toleration  to  the  Protestants  of  France, 
with  a  right  to  share  the  public  offices ;  and  its 
repeal  inflicted  a  blow  on  Fi'ance  from  which  it  has 
never  recovered.  Over  800,000  of  her  best  i)eople 
fled  from  the  persecution  that  followed,  most  of  them 
to  Great  Britain  and  her  colonies.  The  most  skilful 
artisans  of  France  sought  refuge  in  England,  over 
50,000  taking  up  their  residence  in  London.  They 
established  the  manufacture  of  silks,  jewelry,  crystal 
glasses,  and  other  fine  works  hitherto  unknown  in 
England,  but  since  that  time  successfully  prosecuted 
throughout  the  Bi'itish  realms.  Such  has  since  been 
the  increase  of  the  productive  power  of  England 
that,  according  to  the  statement  recently  made  by 
Lord  Brougham  in  the  British  Parliament,  the  ma* 

'  The  Navigation  Act  of  165 1  was  repealed  with  the  Corn  Laws,  June  26, 
1846,     Ch.  22,  9  and  10  Victorias. 


"y% 


THE  FA  TirER  OF  ES'GL  rs/r  COLON  17.  A  TION.    285 

cliiiuM'y  of  Eiiu'laud,  nt  this  time  cinploytMl  in  tlio 
various  l)nin<'lM'H  of  industry,  eijuals  in  effective 
power  tlie  lahor  of  800,000,000  of  men,  nn  a<,'i,M'egate 
tlireefold  j^reater  tlian  the  entire  hil)oring  population 
of  the  glohe.  Yet  England  was  the  latest  of  all  the 
KuroiH-an  powers  to  encoujage  its  suhjeets  who  eame 
to  America  by  the  direct  aid  of  itsgovennnent,  or  to 
take  measures  to  plant  its  race  in  tlie  New  AV^orld.  It 
was  not  HO  much  the  efforts  of  the  government  as  the 
genius  of  the  people  and  the  enterpnse  of  individuals, 
that  gave  to  its  sons  the  iidieritance  of  this  fair  land  ; 
where  free  institutions  Imve  developed  an  expansi^  '• 
energy,  that  demands  for  its  race  supremacy  of  the 
sea  and  dominion  over  the  land. 

The  discoveiy  of  North  America  by  Seb..  lian 
Cabot,  in  the  ^^^  ice  of  Ileniy  VII.,  in  1497,  seven- 
teen months  ]^rior  to  the  time  when  Columbus  sjw 
the  mainland  of  the  continent ;  and  the  exploration  of 
its  coarit  from  latitude  07°,  30'  north,  to  Florida,  has 
often  been  urged  in  modern  times,  as  giving  to  Eng- 
land, claim  of  title.  But  it  was  followed  by  no  act  of 
jurisdiction,  or  of  occupation,  for  nearly  a  centuiy,' 
while  all  the  other  maiitime  jioweis  of  Euroi)e  were 
engaged  in  schemes  of  colonization. 

'  The  government  of  England  was  the  first  to  lay  down  the  true  doctrine  as 
to  the  right  to  newly  discovered  countries.  They  distinctly  affirmed  in  1580, 
in  the  reign  of  P'lizabeth,  that  discovery  and  prescription  are  of  no  avail 
unless  followed  by  actual  occupation.  "  l^iu-scriptio  sine  fiossi'ssiont'  hand 
vakat."    Camden,  "  Eliz.  Annales,"  15S0.— Hearnc's  ed.,  1717,  p.  360. 

"  Occupation  confers  a  good  title  by  nature,  and  the  laws  of  natioos." — 
"Pari.  Debates,"  1620-21,  p.  250. 

Denonville's  Memoir,  on  French  limits  in  America.  "  N.  V.  Doc. 
His.,"  vol.  ix.,  p.  378. 

"  The  first  discoverers  of  an  unknown  country,  not  inhabited  by  Europeans, 
who  plant  the  arras  of  their  prince,  acquire  the  property  oi  that  country." 


.^iid  I 


■  »I 


286       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

Emmanuel,  Kintij  of  the  Portuguese,  whose  sub- 
jects, at  that  time,  were  the  great  navigators  of 
Europe,  and  whose  vessels  had  visited  the  East  by 
way  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  mortified  at  his 
neglect  of  the  offer  of  Columbus,  determined  to 
make  up  for  it  by  new  conquests  in  the  New  World. 
He  despatched  Gaspar  Cortereal '  to  North  America 
in  1500,  who  described  its  shores  and  forests,  its 
stately  pines,  suitable  for  masts,  etc.  But  traffic  in 
slaves,  then  an  established  business  of  the  Portuguese, 
being  esteemed  the  more  profitable,  he  sailed  north- 
ward, took  in,  by  kidnapping,  a  cargo  of  over  fifty 
natives,  whom  he  earned  to  Europe  and  sold  for 
slaves.  But  the  Portuguese  did  not  maintain  their 
claim  to  the  country. 

Juan  Ponce  de  Leon,  in  the  service  of  Spain,  took 
possession  of  Florida  in  the  name  of  his  sovereign,  in 
1512,  published  a  map  of  the  country  as  far  north  as 
Newfoundland,  and  claimed  it  as  a  possession  of  the 
Spanish  Crown.  But  the  Spaniards  chiefly  sought 
at  that  time  mines  of  gold  and  silver,  and  never  ex- 
tended their  occupancy  of  the  country  north  of 
Florida,  at  about  33  °  north  latitude. 

France,  on  the  contraiy,  sent  out  fishing  vessels 
manned  by  the  Bretons  and  Normans,  to  Newfound- 
land, as  early  as  1504."     Those  who  came  earliest 

'  The  country  of  Labrador  is  laid  down  as  "  Corterealis  "  on  the  Spanish 
globe,  spoken  of  in  a  previous  note,  and  in  contemporary  maps  of  North 
America. 

*  *'  Relations  des  Jesuites."  Contenant  ce  qui  s'est  passe  de  plus  re- 
marquable  dans  Les  Missions  des  p6res  de  la  compagnie  de  Jesus  dans  la 
nouvelle  France.  Ouvrage  public  sous  les  auspices  du  Gouvernement  Ca- 
nadien,  3  vols.,  8vo.,  1858.  Quebec  :  Augustine  Cote,  editeur  imprimeur. 
Vol.  i.,  p.  I,  "  Relations,"  1611. 

"  Documentary  History  of  New  Vork,"  vol.  ix.,  pp.  i,  304,  378,  701,  781. 


M 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON IZA  TION    aSy 


■  ■  'ii 


■  North 


named  the  country  first  visited  Cape  Breton,  from 
their  own  home.  They  discovered  the  Grand  Banks 
of  Newfoundland,  visited  all  the  creeks  and  harbors 
of  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  gave  names  to  the 
localities  which  they  still  retain,  and  published  n  aps 
of  the  country.  Jean  Denys  of  Honfleur  madi3  a 
map  on  his  return  in  1506,  and  Thomas  Aubert,  of 
Dieppe,  brought  back  natives  and  a  plot  of  the 
country  in  1508.  The  ocean  they  crossed  was  named 
the  Sea  of  the  West,  800  leagues  broad  in  its  narrow- 
est strait  from  Fi'ance.  The  Western  Ocean  t'ley 
called  the  Sea  of  China.  In  1524  Giovanni  Verrazzani, 
a  Florentine  navigator  in  the  service  of  Francis  I., 
returned  from  his  last  voyage  of  discovery  to  Amer- 
ica, According  to  Champlain,'  he  made  two  vo}  ages 
to  the  New  World,  but  we  have  no  narrative  from 
his  own  pen  of  more  than  one.  He  sailed  to  the  coast 
of  Carolina  in  a  direct  passage,  where  he  found  a 
native  population  more  refined  in  its  manners  than 
that  of  any  other  country  of  the  New  AVorld.  It  had 
never  before  been  visited  by  Europeans.  Verrazzani, 
sailing  northward,  explored  the  coast,  penetrated  its 
various  harbors,  entered  the  bay  of  New  York,  and 
spent  fourteen  days  in  the  harbor  of  Newport,  Rhode 
Island.  At  each  place  visited  he  made  acquaintance 
with  the  native  population,  which  provt'd  more  and 
more  warlike  and  unamiable  as  he  advanced  north- 
ward. Following  the  general  line  of  the  shore,  he  sailed 
150  leagues  along  the  coast  of  Maine,  clearly  defining 
that  great  bay  or  gulf  extending  from  (Dape  Cod  to 
Cape  Sable,  known  afterward  as  the  Bay  or  Gulf  of 
Mains.     To  the  entire  tract  of  country  never  before 

>  "N.  V.  Doc.  Hirt,,"  vol.  ix.,  p.  2. 


■  M 


% 


% 


■•| 


vl 


288       FmST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IVA  Y. 


t»s 


discovered  or  frequented  by  Europeans  lie  gave  the 
name  of  New  France.  On  reaching  the  50th  parallel 
of  latitude  he  sailed  to  France,  and  published  a  most 
interesting  narrative  of  his  voyage.'  France  in  this 
way  established  her  claims  to  the  country.  It  was 
not  Cartier,  as  is  commonly  asserted,  but  Verrazzani, 
that  gave  the  name  of  New  France '  to  the  country 
he  discovered,  which  extended  from  the  30th  to  the 
50th  degree  of  north  latitude.  This  claim  France, 
maintained,  ai.d  named  Carolina  for  Charles  IX. 
Dui'ing  his  reign  in  1562  Ribaut  built  a  fort  there, 
which  was  called  Charles-fort  in  honor  of  the  king.^ 
It  is  a  singular  fact  that  neither  Spain,  France,  nor 
England  had  furnished  up  to  this  time  any  great 
navigator  in  the  discovery  of  America.  They  were 
all  Italians :  Columbns  a  Genoese,  Cabot  a  Venetian,* 
and  Verrazzani  a  Florentine. 


r 


*  "New  York  Historical  Collections,"  vol.  i.,  p.  39,  ct.  seq.,  new  series, 
contains  the  full  narration  of  Verrazzani's  voyage,  addressed  to  the  French 
monarch,  translated  by  J.  G.  Coggswell,  esq.,  of  the  Astor  Library. 

'  "Relations  des  Jesuites,"  vol.,  i.,  p.  14.  Chaniplain,  "  N.  Y.  Docu- 
ments," vol.  ix.,  pp.  1-4.    Do,  vol.  ix.,p.  266.     Harris'  "Voyages,"  vol.  i, 

*  Garneau's  "  History  of  Canada,"  vol.  i.,  p.  118. 

Curiosity  has  been  awakened  the  past  year  in  regard  to  the  location  of 
Charles-fort  from  the  naval  and  military  expedition  to  the  same  region  under 
command  of  Commodore  Dupont  and  General  Sherman.  No  traces  of  the 
old  fort  have  yet  been  found  by  these  in  the  army  of  the  Beaufort  expedition. 
General  Peter  Force,  of  Washington,  whose  authority  is  most  valuable, 
places  the  site  of  Charles-fort  on  the  north  side  of  St.  Helen's  Island. 

*  John  Cabot,  the  father  of  Sebastian,  undoubtedly  was  a  Venetian.  There 
is  much  evidence  lately  brought  to  light,  tending  to  prove  that  Sebastian 
Cabot  was  born  in  Bristol.  In  Grafton's  "Chronicles  of  England,"  page 
1323,  we  find  the  following  notice  of  Cabot  of  Bristol :  "A  native  of  that 
city,  but  who  with  his  father  removed  to  Venice  at  the  age  of  four  years." 

Sebastian  Cabot,  son  of  a  merchant  of  Cathay,  in  London. — Eden,  249. 
Eden  says  :  "  Sebastian  Cabot  told  me  he  was  born  in  Bristol,  and  at  four 
years  of  age  went  to  Venice." — Page  255, 


'»™ 


11 


I 


page 
of  that 
ars." 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON  I ZA  TION.    289 

The  Fi'encli  monarcli,  following  out  his  plans  for 
the  colonization  of  America,  sent  out  Jac(]ues  Cartier 
in  1534;  who,  sailing  from  St.  Malo  on  April  20 
with  two  ships  and  122  men»  on  May  10,  1534,  came 
in  sight  of  Bonavista,  Newfoundland,  a  spot  discov- 
ered by  Cabot  in  1497.  In  the  "  Relations  of  the 
Jesuits,"  recently  published  under  the  patronage  of 
the  government  of  Canada,  it  is  stated  that  Cartier 
had  been  on  this  coast  ten  years  before,  and  it  is 
fair  to  conjecture  that  he  was  in  the  expedition  of 
Verrazzani.  But  we  find  no  other  account  of  any 
such  voyage.  Cartier  was  most  fortunate  in  his  ex- 
pedition. He  found  the  localities  of  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence  already  known  to  the  fishermen,  having 
the  names  they  now  bear.  He  sailed  around  New- 
foundland, took  possession  in  various  places,  both 
on  the  mainland  and  the  island  of  Newfoundland. 
Taking  with  him  two  young  natives  of  Gaspe,  by 
their  full  consent,  he  sailed  for  France  and  reached 
St.  Malo  on  September  5,  1534.'  The  report  of  Car- 
tier's  voyage  and  discoveries  excited  gi'eat  cui'iosity 
and  interest ;  and  with  a  more  ample  equipment  in 
three  ships,  provided  at  the  i-oyal  expense,  he  sailed 
on  another  expedition  for  the  New  World  on  May 
19,  1535,  carrying  back  to  America  his  two  young 
savages,  wdio  became  useful  as  interpreters  to  the 
natives.  Cartier  on  this  voyage  sailed  up  the  Gulf 
and  into  the  River  St.  Lawrence,  wliere  he  spent  the 
following  winter  at  the  fortified  town  of  Hochelaga, 
to  which  he  gave  the  name  it  still  bears,  Montreal." 

'  Cartier's  "  Voyages"  ;  Garneau's  "  History  of  Canada." 

*Cartier's  "  Voyages  "  ;  Garneau's  "  History  of  Canada,"  vol.  i.,  p.  21. 

10 


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290       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

The  next  spring,  erecting  the  cross  in  the  name  of 
his  sovereign  at  various  points,  and  taking  with  him 
the  chief  of  the  savages  at  Quebec,  Donacana,  and 
his  two  young  interpreters,  he  returned  to  France  on 
July  6,  1536.  He  made  his  third  voyage  in  1540, 
but  no  new  discoveries  were  made ;  and  for  nearly 
fifty  years,  the  more  northern  portions  of  North 
America  were  apparently  forgotten  by  the  govern- 
ments of  both  France  and  England. 

Spain,  at  that  time  the  great  European  power, 
subjugated  to  her  dominion,  and  planted  colonies  in, 
the  rich  countries  of  tropical  and  southern  America, 
held  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  Florida  to  the  30th 
parallel  of  latitude. 

The  spirit  of  adventure  had  only  led  the  French 
and  English  to  take  fish  in  the  northern  seas,  and  fur 
and  timber  from  the  coast  of  Maine — though  the 
coast  of  America,  from  Labrador  to  the  Equator,  was 
accurately  delineated  on  maps  published  in  Europe 
within  fifty  years  of  its  first  discovery  by  Columbus. 
The  French  sent  Ribaut,  in  1562,  to  Florida,  and 
joined  with  him  Laudonniere,  in  1564,  but  no  results 
of  importance  came  of  these  expeditions,  as  the 
French  were  driven  out  by  the  Spaniards.  The 
French  asserted  their  right  to  the  country  north  of 
Florida,  for  nearly  one  hundred  years  after  its  dis- 
covery, previous  to  any  substantial  claim  to  it  being 
set  up  on  the  part  of  England. 

The  first  act  of  the  British  Parliament,  concerning 
America,  was  passed  in  the  second  year  of  the 
reign  of  Edw^ard  VI.,  in  1548,  entitled  "An  act 
against  the  exaction  of  money,  or  other  dues,  for 


(  1,- 


TIfE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  TION.    291 

license  to  traffic  into  Iceland,  Newfoundland,"  etc 
England  seemed  more  intent  on  religious  disputes 
than  on  the  extension  of  her  dominions  in  America, 
during  the  reigns  of  Henry  VIII.,  Edward  VI.,  and 
Mary.  No  returns  of  the  English  fishery  are  found 
prior  to  1577.  Those  of  the  French  date  back  to 
1527 — three  years  after  the  expedition  of  Verrazzani. 
In  1577  there  were  found  one  hundred  and  fifty 
French  fishing  vessels  on  the  coast  of  Newfoundland, 
engaged  in  the  cod-fishery,  and  only  fifty  English  ones. 
The  heroic  exploits  of  Drake,  the  first  Englishman 
that  circumnavigated  the  globe, — who,  sailing  on  this 
voyage  from  Plymouth  November  15, 1577,  returned 
to  the  same  port  September  26,  1580, — and  the 
"  Discourse  "  of  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  "  to  prove  a 
passage  by  the  northwest  to  Cathaia,"  printed  in 
1576,  had  filled  the  youthful  mind  of  England  with 
enthusiasm  for  noble  undertakings,  and  stimulated 
the  ambition  of  all  classes ;  and  Sir  Humphrey  Gil- 
bert led  the  way  in  the  plans  of  colonizing  the  New 
World.  He  obtained  from  Queen  Elizabeth  a  charter 
"for  planting  our  people  in  America,"  June  11,  1578, 
in  the  twentieth  year  of  her  reign.  Under  this  grant 
he  took  possession  of  Newfoundland,  and  planted 
the  city  of  St.  John's,  in  the  presence  or  ,  thirteen 
Europeans,  of  various  nations — fishermen,  who  acci- 
dentally, but  not  unfrequently,  assembled  in  that 
secure  seaport,  at  that  early  day.  This  poi*t,  long 
after  this,  retained  the  name  of  "  the  English  port," 
and  is  so  mentioned  by  the  historian  L'Escarbot,  in 
his  history  of  the  voyage  of  De  Monts  to  Acadia, 
in  1604.     But  the  loss  of  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert, 


f  -'^ 


»■!: 


:i 


i» 


292        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 

at  sea,  proved  fatal  to  his  plans,  and  it  was  some 
years  before  Newfoundland  became  a  permanent 
settlement,  or  colony.'  In  1584,  the  queen  granted 
letters-patent  for  the  planting  of  a  colony  in  Virginia 
to  the  gallant  and  accomplished  Sir  Walter  Raleigh, 
whose  heroic  efforts  for  the  honor  of  his  country, 
and  whose  melancholy  fate,  excite  at  this  day  the 
sympathy  of  all  generous  minds.  But  the  first  colony 
he  transported  to  Virginia  returned — the  second 
perished  by  some  unknown  means ;  and  thus  was  re- 
served for  another  the  glory  of  Ji)'st  planting  the 
Saxo-Noi-man  race  in  the  New  World.' 

Such  is,  in  brief,  the  history  of  European  attempts 
at  colonization  in  North  America,  to  the  close  of  the 
sixteenth  century.     There  were  not  any  European 

'  John  Guy  was  sent  out  as  Governor  of  Newfoundland  in  1610,  and 
began  the  colony  at  Conception  Bay.  The  Newfoundland  colony  is  the 
oldest  of  the  present  colonies  of  Great  Britain. 

•  Since  the  writing  of  this  paper,  a  work  of  great  interest  to  the  student  of 
English  history  has  been  undertaken,  "  A  Calendar  of  State  Papers."  Edited 
by  W.  Noel  Sainsbury.  London,  i860.  Longman,  Green,  Longman,  & 
Roberts.  It  is  subdivided  into  three  great  branches,  or  divisions — "  Do- 
mestic," "  Colonial,"  and  "  Foreign."  The  first  volume  of  each  is  already 
published.  That  containing  an  abstract  of  colonial  documents  embraces  the 
period  from  1574  to  1660,  from  which  we  condense  the  following,  viz.  : 

1.  1574.  Points  stated  in  reference  to  proposed  efforts  to  plant  settle- 
ments in  the  northern  parts  of  America.  Petition  to  the  Queen,  dated  March 
22,  1574,  to  allow  of  an  enterprise  for  the  discovery  of  sundry  rich  and  un- 
known lands  " /ala//y  reserved  for  England  and  for  ike  honor  of  your 
Majesty."  Endorsed,  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  Sir  Geo.  Peckham,  Mr.  Car- 
lisle, and  Sir  Richard  Grenville.     p.  i. 

Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert's  commission  and  charter  are  dated  Juue  11,  1578. 

2.  1580.  Fragment  of  a  report  of  persons  who  had  travelled  in  America, 
with  John  Barros,  Andrew  Thevett,  and  John  Walker.  Sir  Humphrey  Gil- 
bert did  confer  in  person.  In  1580,  John  Walker  and  his  company  discovered 
"  a  silver  mine  within  the  river  Norumbega."     p.  2. 

1600.  Consideration  on  "  a  proposition  for  planting  an  English  colony  in 
the  northwest  of  America.  If  the  Prince  would  assist  it,  in  part,  his  Ma- 
jesty's merchants  go  liberally  into  it — the  country  be  stirred  to  furnish 
men  ;  some  gentlemen  moved  to  be  adventurers,  and  a  worthy  general  chosen, 
qualified  to  judge  by  sight,  of  the  strength  of  the  places  ;  it  might  be  a  glorious 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON  I ZA  TION.    293 


settlements  from  Florida  to  the  Northern  Ocean. 
Two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago  England,  a  second- 
rate  power  in  Europe,  had  not  a  colonial  possession 
on  the  globe.  France  and  Holland  were  then  the 
great  maritime  nations  ;  and  well  did  Sir  Ferdinando 
Gorges  say  in  the  House  of  Commons,  when  called 
on  to  show  why  he  should  not  surrender  the  charter 
of  New  England,  "  TJmt  so  valuable  a  country  could 
not  long  retnain  unpossessed,  either  by  the  French, 
Spaniard^  or  Dutch,  but  for  his  efforts  here  to  settle 
a  flourishing  plantation^ ' 

action  for  our  Prince  and  country,  honorable  for  the  general  welfare,  and 
adventurers,  and  in  time  profitable."     p.  4. 

(This  paper  bears  internal  evidence  that  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  was  its 
author.) 

1603,  Nov.  8.  Copy  of  patent  by  the  French  King  to  De  Monts,  of 
Acadia,  front  40°  to  46°  of  north  latitude,     p.  4. 

(The  early  filing  of  this  copy  in  the  British  State-Paper  Office  shows  how 
complete  was  the  information  of  the  government  as  to  the  movements  of  the 
French  towards  colonizing  the  New  World.) 

1606,  April  10.  Grant  of  charter  to  Geo.  Popham  and  als.  by  King 
James,  from  34°  to  45°.  p.  5, 

1607,  March  9.  Ordinance  enlarging  the  number,  and  augmenting  the 
authority  of  tlie  council  for  the  two  several  colonies  and  plantations  in  Vir- 
ginia and  A  erica.  Thirty  members  for  the  first  colony,  from  34°  to  41' 
north  latitude  and  ten  members  for  the  second  colony,  between  38°  and  45° 
north  latitude. 

1607,  March  13.     Letter  of  Gorges  to  Challong.     (See  later  note.) 

1607,  Dec.  13.  Geo.  Popham  to  King  James.  "Maine  Hist.  Coll.," 
vol.  v.,  p.  341. 

1613,  Oct.  18-28.  Montmorency,  Admiral  of  France  to  King  James. 
Complains  of  Argall  at  Mt.  Desert.     Requests  compensation,  etc. 

The  following  are  found  in  the  "  Calendar  of  Domestic  State  Papers  "  : 

1603,  July  26.  Warrant,  etc.,  to  N.  Parker  ("  Warrant  Book,"  p.  102), 
take  possession  of  the  office  and  papers  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  on  his  sus- 
pension from  office. 

1603,  Sept.  15.  Warrant  to  pay  56^.  per  annum  to  Sir  F.  Gorges,  who 
is  restored  to  his  former  post  of  Captain  of  ihe  new  fort  at  Plymouth. 
("  Warrant  Book,"  fol.  18.) 

1608,  Letter.  Sir  F.  G.  to  Thomas  Gamel  of  Salisbury.  Escape  of 
Challoner  (Challong)  out  of  Spain.  Bad  feelings  of  the  Spaniards  towards 
the  English. 

1609,  July  31.  Warrant  to  deliver  ordnance  stores  to  Sir  F.  G.,  Cap- 
tain of  the  forts  at  Plymouth  Island. 

'  Gorges'  "  Briefe  Narration,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  36.    "  Maine  His.  Coll." 


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394       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


^ii 


The  throne  of  England  was  filled  by  Elizabeth 
from  1558  to  1603.  That  of  France  from  1589  to 
1610  by  the  liberal-minded  and  chivaliic  Henry  IV., 
who  of  all  the  sovereigns  of  his  time  seems  most 
fully  to  have  appreciated  the  impoi'tance  of  Ameri- 
can colonization.  In  the  autumn  of  1602,  an  expedi- 
tion was  fitted  out  by  the  merchants  of  Rouen,  under 
charge  of  Seigneur  Du  Pont  Grav<3,  of  St.  Malo;  and 
in  the  early  part  of  1603,  Henry  sent  Champlain,  the 
great  French  navigator,  to  the  St.  Lawrence  ;  who 
visited  on  his  return  from  Quebec,  Gaspe,  the  Bay  of 
Chaleur,  and  the  other  places  occupied  by  the  fisher- 
men in  the  Gulf.  He  encountered  icebergs  of 
prodigious  length,  between  the  44th  and  45th  degrees 
north  latitude,  and  obtained  from  the  savages  a 
description  of  the  St.  Lawrence  above  Hochelaga. 

On  the  return  of  Champlain  in  1603,  Henry  had 
granted  to  Pierre  du  Gas,  Seigneur  De  Monts,  a 
French  Protestant,  and  a  member  of  his  household, 
all  that  part  of  North  America  lying  between  the 
40th  and  46th  parallels  of  north  latitude,  and  con- 
firmed it  by  letters-patent,  November  8,  1603.'  In 
this  grant  the  king  says :  "  Fully  confiding  in  your 
great  prudence,  and  in  the  knowledge  you  possess  of 
the  quality,  condition,  and  situation  of  the  said 
countiy  of  Acadia,  from  the  divers  voyages,  travels, 
and  visits  you  have  made  into  these  parts,  and  other 
neighboring  and  circumjacent,  etc.,  etc.,  we  do  ap- 

'  L'Escarbot  "  Historic  de  la  nouvelle  France,"  1609. 

Champlain's  "  Voyages"  (ed.  1632),  p.  44. 

Hazard's  "  Coll.,"  vol.  i.,  p.  45. 

Williamson's  "  History  of  Maine,"  vol.  i.,  app. 

Sainsbury's  "  Calendar  of  Colonial  State  Papers,"  vol.  i.,  p.  4. 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON IZA  TION.    295 

point  you  our  Lieutenant-General,  to  rej^resent  our 
person  in  the  country,  coasts  and  confines  of  Acadia, 
from  the  40tli  to  the  46th  degree  of  latitude." 
The  design  was  the  occupancy  of  the  country. 
De  Monts  sailed  from  Havre  de  Grace  March  17, 
1604,  with  two  vessels,  in  one  of  which.  Captain 
Timothy,  of  New  Haven,  master,  were  De  Mouts, 
Champlaiu,  Poutrincourt,  and  the  accomplished 
scholar  and  historian  L'Escarbot.'  In  the  other, 
commanded  by  Captain  Morell,  of  Honfleur,  was  Du 
Pont   Grave,  the  companion  and   associate   of  De 

'  L'Escarbot's  "  History  of  New  France  "  is  by  far  the  most  valuable  of 
all  the  works  on  America  of  that  date.  His  first  edition,  published  in  1608- 
g,  i2mo,  contained  a  map  of  tiie  country  explored.  This  work  was  trans- 
lated into  English,  and  published  by  P.  Erondelle,  London,  in  1609,  as 
an  original  work,  without  any  allusion  to  the  author.  A  second  edition  was 
published  in  Paris  in  1612,  under  the  following  title,  which  we  translate  from 
the  copy  recently  placed  in  the  Astor  Library  : 

"  HISTORY   OK    NEW   KRANCE, 

Containing  the  Voyages,  Discoveries  and  Settlements  made  by  the  French, 
in  the  West  Indies  and  New  France,  with  the  consent  and  authority  of 
our  Most  Christian  King;  and  the  diverse  fortunes  of  those  engaged  in 
the  execution  of  these  things,  from  a  hundred  years  ago,  till  to-day. 

In  which  is  comprised  the  History  Moral,  Natural  and  Geographical  of  the 
said  Province  :  with  Tables  and  Pictures  of  the  same. 

By  Marc   L'Escarbot,  I^awyer  in  Parliament ;  Eye  Witness  of  a  part  of 

the  things  here  recited. 
Multa  renasccntur  qua  iain  occidere  cadcnt  que. 

PARIS: 

John  Millot,  in  front  of  St.  Bartholomew  with  the  three  crowns,  and  in 

his  shop,  on  the  steps  of  the  great  hall  of  the  Palace. 

1612. 

WITH   PATENT   FROM  THE  KING." 

In  the  Library  of  Congress  is  a  copy  of  the  third  edition,  published  at  Paris, 
in  1618. 

The  Dutch  and  the  French  adopted  the  names  of  the  rivers  and  places 
given  them  by  L'Escarbot. 

I  am  aware  that  Warburton  and  others  assert  that  L'Escarbot  came  out  in 
the  second  expedition  in  the  ship/(?«aj,  in  1606  ;  but  I  find  nothing  to  justify 
this  statement  from  his  own  writings. 


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296       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

Monts.  They  called  at  Isle  Sublon,  and  reached 
the  coast  May  16,  1604,  where  they  found  a  ship 
trading  with  the  natives  contrary  to  the  directions 
of  the  king,  which  they  seized  and  confiscated ; 
giving  the  master's  name,  Rossignol,  to  the  port, 
his  only  return  for  the  voyage.  The  port  is  now 
called  Liverpool,  but  a  lake  in  the  interior  still 
bears  the  name  of  the  unlucky  master.  E\'[)loring 
the  coast  westward,  De  Monts  reached  Port  Mouton, 
where  they  landed,  waiting  the  arrival  of  Du  Pont 
Grave.  The  company  of  planters,  those  who  de- 
signed to  remain  in  the  country,  was  one  hundred 
in  number ;  and  here  they  erected  tents,  and  planted 
the  ground  with  grain,  which  two  years  later  was 
found  bearing  a  good  crop. 

Champlain,  impatient  at  the  delay,  proceeded  west 
in  a  shallop,  explored  the  coast,  and  discovered  the 
beautiful  island,  which  he  named  St.  Croix — from 
the  fact  that  just  above  it  the  streams  formed  a 
natural  cross,  one  on  each  side,  entering  at  right  an- 
gles with  the  main  river — which  river  finally  retained 
the  name  of  St.  Croix,  or  Holy  Cross,  and  now  divides 
New  Brunswick  from  Maine.  Champlain  rejoined 
his  companions  at  Poi*t  Mouton,  after  exploring  as  far 
west  as  the  Penobscot.  On  the  arrival  of  Du  Pont 
Grav6  and  Captain  Morell,  both  ships  sailed  west, 
entered  the  Bay  St.  Marie,  discovered  the  Bay  of 
Fundy ;  then  sailing  north  reached  Port  Royal. 
Poutrincourt,  who  came  out  to  select  for  himself 
a  place  of  settlement,  was  so  delighted  with  Port 
Royal,  that  he  solicited,  and  obtained  from  De  Monts 
a  promise  of  a  grant  of  it ;  and  with  Du  Pont  Grav6, 


h,ir. 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  T/ON.    297 

returned  to  France,  in  the  autumn  of  1C04,  to  arrange 
for  his  removal  to  this  country,  and  for  afresh  supply 
of  planters. 

Under  the  advice  of  Champlain,  I)e  Monts'  com- 
pany proceeded  west,  discovered  tlie  river  St.  John, 
followed  the  coast  westward,  and  planted  themselves 
in  the  spot  he  had  selected,  known  at  this  day  as 
Neutral  Island,  in  the  St.  Croix  river,  within  the 
limits  of  the  state  of  Maine.  Tliis  was  the  first  set- 
tlement of  Europeans  north  of  Florida.  Hen;  they 
laid  out  a  town,  and  planted  the  gi'ound.  During 
the  autumn  of  1604  habitations  were  erected,  a  fort 
built,  a  magazine  constructed,  and  a  cluipel  finished.' 
The  winter  of  1604-5  was  long  and  severe,  and 
thirty-five  of  their  number  died  of  the  scurvy.     In 

'  "  Leaving  the  River  St.  John,  they  came,  following  the  coast  twenty 
leagues,  to  a  great  river — properly  a  sea — where  they  fortified  themselves  in 
a  little  island,  seated  in  the  midst  of  this  river,  that  the  said  Lord  Champlain 
had  been  to  reconnoitre  ;  and  seeing  it  strong  by  nature,  and  easily  guarded  ; 
and  in  addition,  seeing  that  the  season  was  beginning  to  pass,  and  the 
necessity  of  seeking  a  lodging  without  going  further,  they  resolved  to  stop 
there.  The  Island  of  St.  Croix  is  difhcult  to  find  for  one  who  has  not  been 
there — there  are  so  many  islands  and  great  bays  to  pass,  before  reaching  it, 

"  But  there  was  one  difficulty.  The  fort  was  on  the  northern  side,  where 
there  was  no  shelter,  except  the  trees  on  the  bank  of  the  island.  Without 
the  fort  was  the  lodgings  for  the  Swiss,  and  other  little  houses,  like  a  suburb 
of  a  city.  Some  had  built  cabins  on  the  main  land,  near  the  brook.  I'ut  in 
the  fort  was  the  house,  or  dwelling,  of  Lord  De  Monts,  made  of  good  car- 
penter work,  with  the  flag  of  Fran-  floating  above  it.  On  the  other  side 
was  the  magazine,  where  reposed  the  safety  and  life  of  all — similarly  made 
of  good  carpenter  work,  and  covered  with  shingles  ;  and  opposite  the  maga- 
zine were  the  houses  of  Lord  Orville,  Champlain,  Champdorc,  and  (Hher 
noble  personages,  and  on  the  opposite  of  the  dwelling  of  De  Monts,  was  a 
covered  gallery,  for  the  exercise  of  play,  and  for  workmen  in  rainy  weather  ; 
and  between  the  said  fort  and  the  platform  where  the  cannon  was,  all  tilled 
with  gardens.  Each  one  amused  himself,  or  worked  with  a  gay  heart.  All 
the  autumn  passed  with  this,  and  it  was  doing  well  to  have  lodged  ourself, 
and  cleared  up  the  Island  before  the  coming  on  of  the  winter." — L'Escarbot, 
book  iv.,  ch.  4,  p.  460,  2d  edition,  1812. 


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FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


v- 


ivi 


the  spring,  I)e  Monts,  disappointed  ut  the  rigor  of 
the  winter,  seeking  a  milder  climate,  proceeded  to 
explore  the  country  west  and  south,  designing  to 
settle  four  degrees  south  of  St.  Croix.  lie  visited 
Mount  Desert,  the  Penobscot,  the  Kennebec,'  Casco, 
and  Saco ;  and  coasted  as  far  south  as  Cape  Malabar, 
twelve  miles  south  of  Cape  Cod.  Portland  harlior, 
whicli  he  named  "  Mai'chin,"  from  the  Chief,  or 
Sagamore,  who  then  resided  here,  and  who  was 
killed  in  1G07,  took  the  name  of  Machigonne.  De 
Monts  sailed  into  all  the  bays,  hai-bors,  and  arms  of 
the  sea,  from  St.  Croix  to  Cape  Malabar,  a  distance 
of  over  four  hundred  leagues,  "  searching  to  the  end 
of  the  bays."  Saco  still  retains  the  name  "Choua- 
quet,"  given  to  it  by  De  Monts,  in  1G05.  South  of 
"  Pescadouet,"  Piscutaway  (Portsmouth),  the  harbors 
were  less  and  less  satisfactory,  and  the  country  less 
and  less  inviting ;  and  after  reaching  Cape  Malabar, 
De  Monts  despaired  of  finding  a  suitable  place  of 
settlement,  as  he  had  designed.  While  at  Cape  Cod, 
in  1605,  they  carried  on  shore  a  large  kettle  for  cook- 
ing, which  the  Indians  seized  in  the  absence  of  the 
cook.  On  discovering  the  theft,  he  attempted  to 
rescue  it  from  their  hands;  but  he  was  slain  by 
them,  and  the  kettle  carried  off.  This  was  undoubt- 
edly the  same  kettle  that  Bradfqrd  speaks  of,  which 
the  Plymouth  people  found  in  their  first  explorations 
in  1620. 

'  "  Sailing  west,  1605,  to  find  a  place  of  settlement  they,  De  Monts, 
Champlain  and  Champdore,  came  to  Norumbega,  the  river  of  Pentagouet 
(Penobscot),  and  thence  to  Kinnibeki  (Kennebec),  which  shortens  the  way  to 
the  great  river  of  Canada.  There  are  a  number  of  savages  settled  there,  and 
the  lands  begin  to  be  better  peopled." — L'Escarbot,  book  iv.,  ch.  7,  p.  497. 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON IZA  TION.    299 


In  the  spring  of  1605,  Dii  Pont  Grave  arrived  at 
St.  Croix  witli  supplies  antl  a  reinforcement  >f  forty 
men,  for  the  colony,  which  gave  great  joy.  At  hia 
suggestion,  the  establishment  was  broken  nj)  at  St. 
Croix,  and  they  removed  to  Port  Koyal.  Here, 
under  the  advice  of  L'Escarbot,  they  cleared  and 
cultivated  the  lands,  an<l  built  a  mill  for  the  grinding 
of  their  corn.  Though  Port  Royal  was  destroyed  by 
Argall,  in  1613,  it  was  rebuilt,  and  lias  ever  since 
been  peopled.  A  settlement  was  made  on  the  St 
John,  above  the  Falls,  by  Du  Pont  Grave,  and  St. 
Croix  was  also  soon  reoccui)ied.  In  1611,  when  the 
Jesuits,  Biard  and  Masse,  visited  the  Kennebec,  for 
the  purchase  of  gru  \,  but  without  success;  Plastrier, . 
who  lived  at  the  Island  of  St.  Croix,  gave  them,  on 
their  return,  two  hogsheads  of  beans,  which  rendered 
important  aid,  in  supplying  Port  Royal  with  food  in 
the  winter  of  1611-12.  Four  French  ships  were  at 
that  time  taking  fish  at  the  White  Rock,  twenty-two 
leagues  west  of  St.  Croix.  The  whole  country  was 
familiar  to  the  Fi'ench  ;  Charaplain  and  Champdor6 
the  pilot  carried  back  reports  to  Europe.  In  1609, 
the  work  of  L'Escarbot  was  translated  and  published 
in  England.  De  Monts  sailed  up  the  Kennebec  river, 
as  is  reported,  in  1605,  in  the  expectation  of  reaching 
Hochelaga,  or  Montreal,  by  \vater ;  led  into  this 
attempt  by  the  reports  given  him  by  the  Indiana. 
Though  claiming  the  countiy  as  far  south  as  the 
40th  parallel  of  latitude,  there  is  no  evidence  that 
De  Monts  ever  sailed  south  of,  or  attempted  to  extend 
his  jurisdiction  south  of.  Cape  Malabar.  All  east  of 
this  was  claimed  as  within  the  control  of  France. 


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300        F//iS T  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 


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Tlie  country  east   of   French    Bay,  or  the  Bay  of 
Fundy,    was    called    Acadia  ;    between     that   and 

CaiKuhl,  NoUUMHKCA.' 

At  tlie  conimencenient  of  the  seventeenth  century 
the  Dutch  were  the  most  conunercial  and  the  most 
powerful  nation  of  ICurope,  if  superiority  in  wealth 
and  enterprise  is  to  be  regarded  as  the  true  measure 
of  greatness.  Small  in  territory  and  infeiior  in  point 
of  numbers  to  France  or  England,  Holland  had 
grown  su[)erior  to  either  in  all  the  arts  of  civilized 
life.  Tolerant  of  religious  opinion  and  enjoying  un- 
restricted conunercial  fi'eedom,  the  people  of  the  Low 
Countries  had  accunuilated  wealth,  reclaimed  their 
marshes  from  the  invasions  of  the  sea,  and  cultivated 
the  arts  of  peace.  Their  prosperity  excited  the  Jeal- 
ousy of  Fngland,  and  they  were  finally  compelled  to 
yield  to  the  iron  will  of  the  Protector,  who  infused 
new  life  into  all  pursuits,  not  only  of  conunerce  but 
of  war.  The  people  of  Holland  had  learned  to  practise 
religious  toleration  long  before  those  of  any  other 
nation,  and  were  the  fii'st  to  recoc^nize  the  conunercial 
code,  or  what  is  commonly  called  the  "law  of  na- 
tions." They  were  ecpuiUy  in  advance  of  other 
powers  in  all  conunercial  ideas  and  undertakings. 
As  early  as  1581  the  Dutch  merchants  had  estab- 
lished a  profitable  trade  with  the  AVest  Indies,  and 
in  1597  had  a  still  more  lucrative  one  with  the  East 
Indies.  In  IGOO  the  realized  wealth  of  Holland  sur- 
passed that  of  France,  England,  or  Spain.  Her  Ba- 
tavian  provinces  :'.ad  yielded  abundant  returns  to 
her   nierciiants,  though  requiring  long  and  tedious 

'  "  Relations  des  Jesuites." 


THE  FA  TIIER  OF  FNGLISII  COLON fZ A  TION.    30 1 


voyages  around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope ;  and  otlier 
nations  soutjlit  to  reach  the  same  coveted  treasure 
by  a  shorter  route  'icross  tlie  Atlantic,  by  the  long- 
hoped-for  nortliioeHt  pasmge  to  Cathay.  With  this 
view  the  famous  British  East  India  Company  was 
chartered  December  31,  1(500,  with  a  ca[)ital  of 
£70,000.  In  1602  the  Dutch  East  India  Company 
was  chartered  with  vastly  greater  capital.  An  exj)e- 
dition  for  the  colonization  of  North  America  was  one 
uf  the  early  objects  of  the  Dutch  g()v<?rmiient  and 
people,  and  they  claimed  the  country  from  the  41°  to 
the  45°  of  north  latitude.  Their  ship,  in  conunand  of 
Henry  Hudson,  was  off  the  mouth  of  the  Penobscot 
river  July  18,  1609,  and  from  that  year  they  had 
actual  and  permanent  possession  of  Manatte,  or  New 
York  Island.  So  that  France,  Holland,  and  Eng- 
land started  almost  simultaneously  in  a  career  of 
colonization  in  the  New  World. 

At  this  time  a[)peared  on  the  public  siage  Sir 
Fei'dinando  Gorges.  Born  1573,  at  Ashton  Philips, 
in  Somersetshire,  he  became  a  distinguished  naval 
officer  in  the  Spanish  war  pi-ior  to  1603,  when,  on 
the  accession  of  James  I.,  he  was  made  Governor  of 
Plymouth.  How  early  he  l)ecame  interested  in  the 
colonization  of  America  does  not  (piite  clearly  ap- 
pear, but  being  an  intimate  friend  of  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh,  though  twenty-one  years  younger,  it  is  fair 
to  suppose  that  he  possessed  the  same  adventurous 
spirit :  and  in  his  "  Brief e  Narration,"  speaking  in 
later  times  of  the  grant  to  himself  of  the  Province 
of  Mayne,  which  was  dated  April  3,  1639,  he  says: 
"Being  now  seized,  of  what  I  had  travailed,  for  above 


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FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


forty  (40)  years,  together  with  the  expenses  of  many- 
thousand  pounds,  and  the  best  time  of  my  age  ;  laden 
with  troubles  and  vexations  from  all  parts,  as  you 
have  heard,  I  will  now  give  you  an  account  in  what 
order  I  have  settled  my  aifairs,  in  that,  my  Province 
of  Mayne,  with  the  true  form  and  manner  of  the 
Government,  according  to  the  authority  granted  me 
by  his  Majesty's  Royal  Charter.  First.  I  divided 
the  whole  into  eight  Bailiwicks  or  Counties,  and  these 
again  into  sixteen  several  hundreds ;  consequent!}', 
into  Parishes  and  Tithings  as  people  did  increase 
and  the  provinces  Avere  inhabited,"  etc.  Gorges 
speaks  in  familiar  terms,  at  the  commencement  of  his 
narrative,  of  the  efforts  of  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert  and 
of  Sir  Richard  Grenville  to  plant  colonies  in  America, 
the  last  of  which  terminated  1585,  so  that  his  mind 
was  evidently  familiar,  at  an  early  day,  with  their 
2)lans  for  American  colonization.  It  has  been  recently 
made  to  appear  that  he  was  directly  concerned  in 
the  great  voyage  of  George  Weymouth,  in  1605, 
regarded  as  the  initial  point  in  the  history  of  New 
England;  and  probably,  in  the  previous  ones  of 
Gosnold,  in  1602,'  and  of  Pring,  in  1603. 

'  Interest  has  of  late  been  awakened  as  to  the  route  and  the  purposes  of 
Gosnold's  voyage,  which  at  this  time  deserves  notice.  On  March  26,  1602, 
Capt.  Barthoh)mew  Goriiold,  in  the  forty-second  year  of  the  reign  of  Eliza- 
beth, sailed  from  Fal.nouth,  in  the  County  of  Cornwall,  for  a  voyage  into 
the  north  part  of  Virginia,  in  the  Lark  Concord,  with  thirty-two  persons  on 
board — twelve  of  them  sailors,  and  twenty  "  to  remain  in  the  country  for 
population."  So  that  the  priority  of  the  English  in  efforts  to  colonize  the 
country  is  clearly  established.  The  country  that  invited  rival  efforts  at  coloni- 
sation by  the  Dutch,  French,  and  English  extended  from  Cape  Breton  to  the 
head  of  Delaware  Bay. 

Of  those  who  came  out  with  Gosnold,  who  was  chief  in  command,  and 
who  died  in  Virginia  in  1607,  the  only  names  preserved  to  us  are  Bartholo- 


till!:  ji' 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON IZA  TION.    303 


The  information,  recently  brought  to  light  by  a 
publication  of  the  Hon.  Geo.  Folsom,  "  A  Catalogue 
of  Original  Documents  in  the  English  Archives,  Re- 
lating to  the  Early  History  of  Maine,"  proves,  what 
was  before  only  a  matter  of  conjecture,  that  Gorges 
was  the  chief  promoter  of  Weymouth's  voyage.     In 

mew  Gilbert,  second  officer  ;  John  Angel  ;  William  Street,  shipmaster  ; 
Robert  Solterne,  who  came  out  with  Pring  the  following  year — afterwards  a 
licensed  clergyman  ;  John  Tucker  ;  Jolin  Hrereton,  gentleman,  and  journal- 
ist of  the  voyage  ;  James  Rosier,  the  journalist  of  Weymouth's  voyage  in 
1605,  and  Gabriel  Archer,  gentleman,  and  also  journalist  of  the  voyage,  who 
subsequently  went  to  Virginia. 

The  land-fall  of  Gosnold  is  thus  described  by  Archer : 

"  On  Friday,  the  fourteenth  of  May,  early  in  the  morning,  we  made  the 
land,  being  full  of  fair  trees — the  land  somewhat  lew — certain  hummocks,  or 
hills,  lying  into  tlie  land  ;  the  shore  full  of  white  sand,  but  very  stony,  or 
rocky.  And  standing  fair  along  by  the  shore,  ai^out  twelve  of  the  clock  the 
same  day,  we  came  to  an  anchor,  where  eight  Indians,  in  a  Biscay  shallop, 
with  mast  and  sail,  and  iron  grapple,  and  a  kettle  of  copper,  came  boldly 
aboard  us  ;  one  of  them  apparelled  with  a  waistcoat  and  breeches  of  black 
^ferge,  made  after  our  sea-fashion  ;  hose  and  shoes  on  his  feet  ;  all  the  rest 
(saving  one  that  had  a  pair  of  breeches  of  blue  cloth)  were  naked.  These 
people  are  of  tall  stature,  broad  and  grim  visage  ;  of  a  black  swart  com- 
plexion ;  the  eyebrows  painted  white  ;  their  weapons  are  bows  and  arrows. 
It  seemed,  by  some  words  and  signs  they  made,  that  some  Basques  of  St. 
John  de  Luz,  have  fished  or  traded  in  this  place,  being  in  the  latitude  of 
43°.  But  riding  here,  in  no  very  good  harbor,  and  withal  doubting  the 
weather,  about  three  of  the  clock  the  same  day  in  the  afternoon,  we  weighed, 
and  standing  southerly  off  into  the  sea  the  rest  of  that  clay,  and  the  night 
following,  with  a  fresh  gale  of  wind  ;  in  the  morning,  we  found  ourselves 
embayed  within  a  mighty  headland,"  etc. 

This  headland  was  Cape  Cod,  a  name  given  to  it  by  Gosnold,  from  the 
abundance  of  cod  taken  there,  and  which  it  still  retains,  despite  the  efforts 
of  subsequent  voyagers  and  writers  to  affix  to  it  the  name  of  Ca[)f  James,  in 
honor  of  the  king.  John  Brereton,  the  fellow-passenger  and  historian  of  the 
voyage,  thus  describes  Gosnold's  land-fall  : 

"  The  13th  day,  we  landed  in  seventy  fathoms,  and  observed  great  beds 
of  weeds,  much  woods,  and  divers  things  close  floating  by  us,  when  as  we 
find  smelling  of  the  shore  as  from  some  southern  ca]ie  and  Andalusia  in 
Spain.  The  14th,  about  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  discovered  land,  that 
lay  north,  and  the  northerly  part  we  called  the  Northland,  in  which  to  an- 
other rock,  upon  the  same,  lying  twelve  leagues  west,  that  we  called  Savage 
rock  ;  for  six  leagues  toward  the  said  rock  is  an  outpoint  of  rising  ground, 
the  trees  thereof  were  high  and  straight  from  the  rock,  east  northe.ost. 
But  finding  ourselves  short  of  our  pur[)osed  i)lace,  we  set  sail  westward, 
leaving  them  and  their  coast  about  sixteen  leagues  S.  W, ;  from  thence  we 
perceived  in  that  course  two  small  Islands,  the  one  lying  eastward  from 
Savage  rock,  the  other  to  the  southward  of  it.     The  coast  we  left  was  full 


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304       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


Gorges'  letter,  on  file  in  the  State-Paper  Office,  pub- 
lished in  full  by  Mr.  Folaom,  dated  March  13,  1607, 
addressed  to  Mr.  Chalinge  (Challong),  he  speaks  of 
the  return  of  the  former  voyage,  of  hut  the  Jim 
savages,^''  whom  Weymouth  took  as  "  the  chief  return 
TO  us,  WHO  FIRST,  Sent  to  the  coast."  ' 

of  goodly  lands,  fair  plains,  with  little  green  round  hills  above  the  cliffs, 
appearing  unto  us. 

"  The  15th  clay  we  had  again  sight  of  the  land,  which  made  ahead  ;  being, 
as  thought,  an  Island,"  etc.     This  proved  to  be  Cape  Cod. 

From  these  accounts.  Dr.  Belknap  supposed  Savage  rock  to  be  on  the 
northerly  shore  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  about  Nahant,  Drake,  in  his  elabo- 
rate history  of  Boston,  expresses  the  belief  that  "  Savage  rock  "  was  in  the 
vicinity  of  Great  Boar's  Head,  in  Hampton,  and  that  Gosnold's  land-fall 
was  at  Boon  Island,  on  the  Isle  of  Shoals,  from  the  fact  that  they  are  nearer 
to  the  43°  of  latitude  than  any  island  on  the  coast. 

The  late  John  McKeen,  Esq.,  of  Brunswick,  a  thorough  and  accurate 
observer  an  J  explorer,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  Maine  Historical  Society, 
exposes  the  errors  of  modern  writers,  and  shows  that  the  statement  of 
Strachey,  that  Gosnold's  land-fall  was  at  the  mouth  of  the  Sagadahoc,  is  the 
true  one.  Strachey  was  a  contemporary,  and  undoubtedly  wrote  with  the 
narrations  of  Archer  and  Brereton  before  him  ;  and  in  constant  intercourse 
with  those  who  shared  this  adventurous  voyage,  R.  K.  Sewall,  Esq.,  in  his 
able  work,  "  Ancient  Dominions  in  Maine,"  concurs  in  fixing  the  land-fall 
of  Gosnold  at  Sagadahoc. 

We  think  the  evidence  fully  establishes  the  fact  we  assume,  that  Gosnold's 
land-fall  was  at  Sagadahoc  :  that  on  the  13th  of  May,  1602,  he  sighted  the 
islands  from  Seguinto  Cape  Elizabeth,  and  gave  to  the  latter  the  name  it  still 
bears,  in  honor  of  his  queen  ;  that  the  name  of  Falmouth,  subsequently  adopt- 
ed for  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Portland,  was  so  affixed  in  compliment 
to  the  port  from  which  the  first  voyage  of  exploration  sailed.  It  was  a  favorite 
idea  with  the  English,  from  the  first,  to  give  the  name  of  their  former  home, 
or  their  place  of  embarkation,  to  the  places  visited  in  the  New  World,  as  in 
case  of  Bristol,  Plymouth,  Falmouth,  Yarmouui,  Portsmouth,  Dartmouth, 
York,  Wells,  etc.  The  French,  on  the  contrary,  generally  adopted  the  local 
names  of  the  country,  attempting  to  express  in  language  the  sounds  gathered 
from  the  lips  of  the  natives. 

'  1607,  Mar.  13.  Plymouth.  Letter  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  to  Mr. 
Chalinge. 

Mr.  Chalinge — I  received  your  Ire  sent  me  by  the  Mr.  Nicholas  Hines  by 
whom  I  rest  satisfied  for  your  pte  of  the  proceedinge  of  the  voyadge  and  I 
doubte  not  but  you  will  be  able  to  answer  the  expectacon  of  all  your  freindes. 
I  hoope  you  shall  receive  verie  shortlie,  if  alreadie  you  have  not,  an  attesta- 


T^r  mim 


to  Mr. 


T//£  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON  I ZA  TION.    305 

Til  is  v^oyage  of  Weymouth  was  iioininjiUy  iiiider- 
taken  to  find  the  long-sough t-f or  northwest  passage 
to  India,  and  "  as  set  forth  "  by  the  Earl  of  South- 
ampton, and  Arundell,  Lord  Wardour.  But  this 
w^as  undoubtedly  a  pretence  to  mislead  the  French 
who  claimed  the  country,  and  were,  at  this  time, 
occupying  the  territory  and  coasting  along  the  shores 
of  Maine.  De  Monts  and  Weymouth  were  in  the 
same  waters  in  1605.  AVeymouth  sailed  from  the 
Thames,  March  31, 1605,  ex'idored  the  coast  of  Maine, 
and  west  as  far  as  Nantucket.  As  AVeymonth  had 
been  familiar  with  the  coast  in  a  previous  naval  ser- 
vice of  t\velve  years,  and  knew  that  any  idea  of  find- 

tion  out  of  the  highe  Courte  of  Admiraltie  to  give  satisfacon  of  the  truthe 
of  our  intent,  yt  sett  you  out,  let  me  advise  you  to  take  heede  that  you  be 
not  ov'shott  in  acceptinge  recompence  for  wrongs  received,  for  you  know 
that  the  jorney  hath  bene  noe  smale  chardge  to  us,  yt  first  sent  to  the  Coast 
and  had  for  our  rcturne  hut  the  five  salvages  7vhereof  two  of  the  principal 
you  had  with  you  and  since  within  in  two  months  after  your  depture  we  sent 
out  an  other  shippe  to  come  to  your  supplie,  and  now  again  we  have  made  a 
nue  preparacon  of  divers  others,  all  of  wch  throughe  your  misfortune  is 
likely  to  be  frustrate  and  our  time  and  chardge  lost,  therefore  you'  demands 
must  be  answerable  hereunto,  and  accordinglie  seeke  for  satisfacon  which 
cannot  be  lesse  than  five  thousande  poundes  and  therefore  l^efore  you  con- 
clude for  lesse  attende  to  receive  for  resohicon  from  hence,  if  they  answere 
you  not  thereafter,  for  if  their  condicon  be  not  such  as  shall  be  reasonable, 
we  do  know  howe  to  right  ourselves,  for  rather  then  we  will  be  loasers  a 
penny  by  them  we  will  attend  a  fitter  time  to  gott  us  our  content,  and  in  the 
mean  time  leave  all  in  their  hands,  therefore  be  you  careful  herein,  and  re- 
member y'  it  is  not  the  buisness  of  merchants  or  rovers  but  as  you  knowe 
of  men  of  another  ranke  and  such  as  will  not  preferre  manie  complayntes 
nor  exhibite  divers  petitions  for  that  they  understande  a  shoiter  way  to  the 
woode,  soe  comendinge  you  to  God  and  continuing  my  selfe 

your  most  assured  and  lovinge  friende 

Plymoth  13  of  Ferdinando  Gorges 

Marche  1607 

I'ostcript 

I  pray  you  use  the  meanes  that  the  salvages  and  the  companie  be  sent 
over  with  as  muche  speede  as  is  possible  and  yt  you  hasten  yourself  away  if 
you  see  not  likelihoode  of  a  present  ende  to  be  had  for  we  will  not  be  tired 
with  their  delaies  and  endlesse  sutes  such  as  commonlie  they  use  but  leave 
all  to  time  and  God  the  just  revenger  of  wrongs 

Ferdinando  Gorges 
[Endorsed]  The  Coopie  of  Sr.  Ferdinando  Gorges  his  Ire  to 

Mr.  Chalens. 

Received  ye  6  day. 


■A 


:A 


3o6       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


ing,  by  this  route,  a  northwest  passage  to  India,  was 
absurd ;  the  conclusion  is  inevitable,  that  Weymouth's 
voyage  was  designed  to  lay  the  foundation  of  the 
Royal  Grant,  which  secured  the  continent  to  Great 
Britain.  In  fact,  Weymouth  proposed  to  plant  a 
colony,  and  Owen  Griffin  and  another  man  had  agreed 
to  remain.  A  most  interesting  discussion  is  now 
going  on  by  many  able  writers  in  Maine,  as  to  the 
river  visited  by  Weymouth,  and  which  of  the  noble 
harbors  of  that  wonderful  coast  was  the  Pentecost 
harbor,  in  which  he  anchored  his  ship  Archangel,  in 
1605.  Weymouth  carried  back  to  England,  in  1605, 
five  natives  of  Pemaquid,  from  whom  Gorges  ob- 
tained full  "  particulars  of  its  stately  islands,  and  safe 
harbors,  what  great  rivers  i-an  up  into  the  land,  what 
men  of  note  were  seated  on  them,  what  power  they 
were  of,  how  allied,  what  enemies  they  had,  and  the 
like."  By  his  glowing  descriptions  of  the  beauties  of 
the  country,  he  satisfied  the  royal  inquiiy,  and  laid 
the  foundation  for  the  subsequent  gi*ant  from  the 
king. 

It  was  through  the  eiforts  of  Gorges  that  King 
James  made  the  Royal  Grant  or  Charter,  dated  April 
10,  1606,  granting  to  "  the  Council  of  Virginia  "  the 
continent  of  North  America,  from  the  34°  to  the 
45°  of  north  latitude,  and  all  the  islands  within  one 
hundred  miles  of  the  shore.  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges 
and  the  Earl  of  Southampton  petitioned  the  king  for 
his  charter,  but  no  copy  of  this  interesting  document 
has  as  yet  been  brought  to  light.  The  attacks  on 
Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  for  "  grasping  cupidity  "  in 
obtaining  charters  from  King  James  and  the  Stuarts, 


WPI 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON  J ZA  TION.    307 

are  among  the  striking  evidences  of  tbe  intolerance 
of  the  times.  He,  or  any  one,  who  would  sacrifice  his 
private  fortune  to  establish  plantations  in  America, 
deserved  the  gratitude  of  the  nation  and  the  warmest 
commendations  of  modern  times.  Instead  of  this, 
the  historians  of  New  England — those  even  of  our 
times,  or  such  as  follow  Puritan  authorities — unjustly 
represent  Gorges  as  a  man  of  a  selfish  and  grasping 
spirit,  whose  only  ambition  was  private  advantage. 
The  grants  to  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert  and  to  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh  by  Elizabeth  were  as  obnoxious 
to  the  charge  of  monopoly  as  those  subsequently 
given  to  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  and  his  associates, 
which  the  Puritans  attacked  ;  but  no  complaint  was 
made  against  Elizabeth  for  these  grants,  although 
others,  lavishly  bestowed  by  her  in  various  depart- 
ments of  trade  and  manufactures,  were  boldly  attacked 
by  the  Commons. 

This  charter  of  April  10,  1606,  is  the  foundation 
of  the  title  of  England  to  North  America.  It  was 
followed  up  by  immediate  acts  of  Jurisdiction  and 
possession.  In  May,  1606,  the  Lord  Chief -Justice  of 
England,  Sir  John  Popham,  having  become  associ- 
ated in  the  enterprise,  sent  out  Captain  Haines,  "  in 
a  tall  ship  belonging  to  Bristol  and  the  river  Severne, 
to  settle  a  plantation  in  the  river  of  Sagadahoc  " ;  but 
from  the  failure  of  the  master  to  follow  the  course 
ordered,  the  ship  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards 
by  capture,  and  the  expedition  failed  of  success.  In 
August,  of  the  same  year,  a  ship,  sent  out  by  Sir 
Ferdinando  Gorges,  under  command  of  Henry  Chal- 
long,  with  two  savages  as  pilots,  for  the  same  pup- 


1 


m 


'.« 


m 


'■fi 


■A 


Vi 


II 

'13 


308       /'/^^r  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IVA  Y. 

pise — the  two  designed  to  form  one  expedition, — 
shared  a  similar  fate.  Another  vessel,  sent  by  the 
Chief-Justice,  in  command  of  Hanam,  under  charge 
of  Mai*tin  Pring  as  master,  sailed  two  months  later, 
reached  the  coast  of  Maine ;  but  not  finding  Challong, 
made  a  perfect  discovery  of  all  the  rivers  and  harbors, 
and  brought  back  a  most  exact  description  of  the 
coast ;  which  so  encouraged  the  company,  that  they 
determined  to  send  out  a  greater  number  of  planters, 
with  better  provisions  for  the  planting  of  a  colony 
at  Sagadahoc  the  next  year.  In  consequence  of  these 
mishaps  Virginia  was  occupied  prior  to  Maine.  The 
expedition  of  Captain  Newport  to  the  Chesapeake, 
which  sailed  December  19,  1606,  landed  at  James- 
town May  13,  1607. 

On  May  31,  1607,  the  first  colony  to  New  Eng- 
land sailed  from  Plymouth  for  the  Sagadahoc,  in  two 
ships — one  called  the  Gift  of  God,  whereof  George 
Popham,  brother  of  the  Chief -Justice,  was  command- 
er ;  the  other,  the  Mary  and  John,  which  Raleigh 
Gilbert  commanded — on  board  which  ships  were  one 
hundred  and  twenty  persons  for  planters.  They 
came  to  anchor  under  an  island,  supposed  to  be 
Monhegan,  July  31 ;  and  in  two  hours  after,  eight 
savages  in  European  apparel  came  to  them  from  the 
shore  in  a  Spanish  shallop,  and  after  rowing  about 
the  vessels  awhile,  boldly  came  on  shipboard, 
where  three  of  them  stayed  all  night.  The  next 
day  the  others  returned  with  three  women  in  another 
Biscay  shallop,  bringing  beaver  skins  for  the  pur- 
pose of  trade,  so  familiar  had  these  people  become 
with    the   habits   and   designs   of   their  European 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  TION.    309 

visitors.  The  fish  of  Monhegan  were  already  more 
esteemed  than  those  of  Newfoundland,  and  this  spot 
was  the  common  resort  of  all  the  trading  vessels  on 
the  coast.  By  this  means,  undoubtedly,  the  Indians 
became  possessed  of  French  and  Spanish  shallops 
prior  to  1607. 

After  exploring  the  coast  and  islands,  on  Sunday, 
August  9,  1607,  tbey  landed  on  an  island  they  called 
St.  George,  where  they  had  a  sermon  deliv.3rtd  uuto 
them  by  Mr.  Seymour,  their  preacher,  and  returned 
aboard  again.  On  August  15  they  anchored  under 
Seguin,  and  on  that  day  the  Gift  of  God  got  into 
the  river  of  Sagadahoc.  August  16  both  ships 
got  safely  in,  and  came  to  anchor.  August  17,  iu 
two  boats,  they  sailed  up  the  river — Captain  Pop- 
ham  in  his  pinnace,  with  thirty  persons,  and  Captain 
Gilbert  in  his  long-boat,  with  eighteen  persons,  and 
"  found  it  a  very  gallant  river ;  many  good  islands 
therein,  and  many  branches  of  other  small  rivers 
falling  into  it,"  and  returned.  August  18  they  all 
went  ashore,  and  there  made  choice  of  a  place  for 
their  plantation,  at  the  mouth  or  entry  of  the  river, 
on  the  west  side  (for  the  river  bendeth  towards  the 
northeast  and  by  east),  being  almost  an  island,  of 
good  bigness,  in  a  province  called  by  the  Indians 
"  Sabino  " — so  called  of  a  Sagamo,  or  chief  command- 
er, under  the  grand  Bashaba.  August  19,  they 
all  went  ashore,  where  they  had  made  choice  of  their 
plantation,  and  where  they  had  a  sermon  delivered 
unto  them  by  their  preacher,  and  after  the  sermon, 
the  President's  commission  was  read,  vdth  the  laws 
to  be  observed  and  kept :  George  Popham,  gent.,  was 


^* 


310       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


nominated  President.  Thus  commenced  the  first 
occiipiitioii  and  settlement  of  New  England,  and 
from  which  date  the  title  of  England  to  the  New 
World  was  maintained.' 

This  act  of  formal  possession  of  the  country  under 
their  charter,  August  29,  1607,  was  the  consumma- 
tion of  England's  title  to  New  England,  and  the 
foundation  of  her  future  greatness ;  and  the  day 
should  be  observed  as  an  epoch  wherev^er  thei'e  exists 
a  community  who  enjoy  the  common  law  of  England 
or  speak  the  mother-tongue. 

This  charter,  of  April  10,  1606,  was  ''for  tlie 
Ijlanting  of  colonies  or  planiations  in  North  America.'''' 
It  placed  the  power  in  a  council  of  thiiieen.     To 


'  The  charter  of  De  Monts  was  revoked  by  the  king,  in  1607,  on  account 
of  the  intense  jealousy  of  his  rivals.  This  loss  of  title  by  the  Trench  allowed 
the  English  charter  of  April  10,  1606,  to  take  precedence  of  all  French 
grants.  In  all  subsequent  contests  with  rival  nations,  the  Dutch  and  the 
French,  the  occupation  by  the  I'opham  colony,  in  1607,  was  put  forward 
as  the  ground  of  title.  In  1632  the  Dutch  West  India  Company,  in  tl.eir 
address  to  the  States-General,  under  date  of  May  5th,  say  :  "  In  the  year 
ifiof)  his  Majesty  of  Great  Britain  granted  to  his  subjects  under  the  names  of 
New  England  and  Virginia,  north  and  south  of  the  river  (Manhattoes),  on 
express  condition  that  the  companies  should  remain  one  hundred  miles  apart. 
^Vhereupon  the  English  began  about  the  year  1607  to  settle  by  the  river  of 
Sagadahoc.  The  English  place  New  England  between  41"  and  45"  of  north 
latitude."—"  Holland  Doc.  N.  Y.,"  p.  51.  The  Dutch  contended  that  they 
had  the  right  to  occupy  the  one  hundred  miles  reserved  by  the  charter  as  open 
territory. 

Count  de  Tillieres,  French  ambassador,  writing  to  Secretary  Conway,  un- 
der date  of  April,  1624,  admits  the  claim  of  England  to  Virginia  and  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  south  five  hundred  leagues  ;  but  denies  all  right  north.  In 
answer  to  Tillieres,  the  charter  of  King  James,  in  1606,  to  the  two  companies 
is  quoted  to  show  that  the  claim  of  both  is  equally  valid. — "  Calendar  of  Colo- 
nial State  Papers,"  i.,  p.  60.  In  1631,  Champlain,  in  his  great  memoir  to  the 
king,  giving  a  statement  of  the  rival  claims  of  the  French  and  English,  says : 
"  King  James  issued  his  charter  twenty-four  years  ago,  for  the  country  from 
the  thirty-third  degree  to  the  forty-fifth  degree.     England  seized  the  coast 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COL  ONIZA  TION.    3 1  x 

encourage  competition  and  excite  rivalry,  it  provided 
for  the  planting  of  two  distinct  and  Hei)arate  colonies, 
each  having  a  local  government,  of  North  and  South 
Virginia,  the  former  subs'Mpiently  known  an  the 
Plymouth,  the  latter  as  the  London  Company ;  each 
company  not  to  colonize  or  establish  a  i)lantation 
within  one  hundred  miles  of  each  other.  Neither 
Gorges  nor  the  Chief-Justice  had  their  names  inserted, 
for  fear  of  exciting,  as  it  would  seem,  the  jealousy  of 
rivals.  Eight  persons  only  were  named  in  the  charter, 
four  for  each  colony,  who  might  be  expected  to  join 
the  ex[  editions. 

The  history  of  this  Po[)ham  Colony  is  very  im- 
perfectly  known.      They   called    their    settlement 

of  New  France,  where  lies  Acadia,  on  which  they  imposed  the  name  of 
New  England." — "  I-rench  Doc.  N.  V.,"  vol.  ix.,  pp.  i  and  2. 

In  1630,  September  9,  the  Scotch  adventurers  addressed  a  letter  to  the 
king  from  the  Council  of  Scotland — those  claiming  title  under  the  grant  to 
Sir  William  Alexander,  afterwards  Lord  Stirling, — in  which  they  assert  that 
"  the  planting  of  New  England  in  the  north"  was  by  Chief-Justice  Popham. 
— "Cal.  of  Colonial  State  Papers,"  i.,  p.  iig. 

In  a  work  entitled  "  An  Encouragement  to  Colonies,"  by  William  Alex- 
ander, Knight,  printed  by  William  Stanly,  London,  1625,  it  is  said:  "  One 
of  them.  Sir  John  Popham,  sent  the  first  company  that  went,  of  puqiose 
to  inhabit  there,  near  to  Sagadahoc."     P.  30. 

Captain  John  Mason,  writing  to  Sir  Edward  Coke,  Secretary  of  State, 
under  date  of  April  2,  1632,  says  :  "  Plantations  in  New  England  have  been 
settled  about  twenty-five  years." — "  London  Doc.  N.  V.,"  vol.  iii.,  p.  16. 

In  the  work  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  grandson  of  the  original  proprietor 
of  Mayne,  entitled  "A  Description  of  New  England, — America  Painted  to 
the  Life,"  published  in  London,  in  1659,  he  says:  "New  England  is  be- 
tween 41°  and  45°  of  north  latitude.  In  1606  the  country  began  to  be  pos- 
sessed by  the  English  by  public  authority.  ...  A  peninsula  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river  Sagadahoc,  where  they  built  a  fortress,  which  they  named  St. 
George."     P.  18. 

Sir  John  Popham  was  ridiculed  in  his  time  for  his  efforts  to  plant  colonies 
in  America.  "Chief-Justice  Popham  not  only  punished  malefactors,  but 
provided  for  them,  and  first  set  up  the  discovery  of  New  England  to  main- 
tain and  employ  those  that  could  not  live  honestly  in  the  Old." — Lloyd's 
"  State  Worthies,"  p.  46. 


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3 1 2        /-/i^J r  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


Fort  St.  George,  the  remaiiKS  of  wbicli  are  still 
in  existence ;  from  which  phice,  George  Pophani 
writes  to  King  JanieH,  under  date  of  December  1.'], 
1607, in  tlie  Latin  language,  in  which  he  says:  "My 
well  considered  opinion  is,  that  in  these  regions  the 
glory  of  God  may  be  easily  evidenced,  the  emjure  of 
your  Majesty  enlarged,  and  the  welfare  of  Great  Brit- 
ain speedily  augmented."  They  finished  their  vessel, 
of  fifty  tons,  in  the  winter  and  spring,  called  the  V'w- 
giniaoi  Sagadahoc,  in  which  they  returned  to  England 
that  year.  They  lost  their  governor,  George  Popham, 
during  the  winter,  who  died  February  5, 1 108.  Cap- 
tain Gilbert,  who  succeeded  to  the  command,  was  com- 
pelled to  return,  to  settle  the  estate  of  his  brother,  Sir 
John  Gilbert,  who  had  deceased,  and  to  whose  estate 
he  was  heir.  Added  to  these,  the  death  in  England  of 
the  venerable  Chief-Justice  Popham,  who  died  June 
10,  1107,  and  the  terrible  severity  of  the  winter 
through  which  they  had  passed,  threw  discourage- 
ments in  their  way,  which  they  had  not  the  courage 
to  surmount. 

This  was  the  critical  period  in  the  history  of  the 
English  race,  in  the  New  World.  Both  France  and 
England  were  claiming  title.  The  occupation  of 
the  territory  could  alone  determine  the  rights  of  the 
parties.  Poutrincourt,  inflamed  rvith  all  the  zeal  of 
the  Catholic  faith,  kept  his  hold  on  Acadia,  and 
returning  to  France,  with  De  Monts,  in  1607,  ob- 
tained from  him  a  grant  of  Port  Royal.  He  came 
out  at  the  instance  of  the  king,  with  a  new  grant, 
in  1610,  with  Fathers  Biard  and  Masse;  and  being 
free  from  the  annoyance    of    the   Huguenots,   he 


-""-^^i 


m 


THE  FA  TITER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON  1 7.  A  TION.    3 1 3 


1 


(lesputchetl  liia  son  Biencourt  to  France,  to  ln'ing 
further  recruits  to  liis  colony.  TJu'  iiower  of  tlieir 
youtli  wei'e  cheerfully  eni^aujed  for  this  service,  from 
all  the  Jesuit  colleges  of  France. 

As  they  were  about  to  ciubark  foi'  Acadia,  the 
merchants  of  Diep[)e,  who  had  furnished  the  sujv 
plies  for  the  ship,  refused  the  Jesuits  admission  on 
board,  on  account  of  their  religion,  so  strong  was 
the  Protestant  faith  at  that  time  in  France.  The 
zealous  and  enthusiastic  Madame  de  Guerchville, 
moved  to  anger  by  this  refusal  of  the  merchants, 
raised  the  entire  sum  re([ulred  for  the  voyage  by 
contributions  among  the  Catholic  nobility ;  and  des- 
patched Biencourt,  and  his  Jesuit  missionaries,  who 
arriv  ed at  Poi't  Royal  just  in  time  to  save  Poutrincourt 
and  his  party  from  starvation.  MeanwhileChamplaiu 
had  in  1608  laid  the  foundation  of  Quebec,  and  held 
actual  possession  of  the  St.  Lawrence  under  a  new 
charter.  Emboldened  by  the  breaking  up  of  Pop- 
ham's  Colony,  at  Sagadahoc,  the  French  pushed  for- 
ward their  possessions,  claiming  the  territor^^  as  far 
south  as  Cape  Cod.  Gorges  knew  the  im[)ortanceof 
maintaining  possession  of  the  country,  and  while 
'■''all  his  associates  gave  up  to  these  discouragements,^'' 
his  heroic  spirit,  so  far  from  yielding,  rose  with  the 
occasion  that  demanded  still  greater  sacrifices ;  and, 
as  he  says  :  "  Finding  I  could  no  k)nger  be  seconded 
by  others,  I  became  an  owner  of  a  ship  myself,  fit 
for  that  employment,  and  under  color  of  fishing  and 
trade>  I  got  a  master  and  company  for  her,  to  which 
I  sent  Vines  and  others,  ray  own  servants,  appointing 
them  to  leave  the  ship  and  ship's  company  for  to 


'■i 


■f:li)i' 


.  .Hi 

■  m 


'im 


314        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  iVA  V. 


i 


1!  K 


m: 


follow  their  business  in  the  usual  places.  By  these 
and  the  help  of  those  natives,  formerly  sent  over,  I 
came  to  be  ti'uly  informed,  of  so  much  as  gave  me 
assurance,  that  in  time,  I  should  want  no  undertakers, 
though  as  yet,  I  was  forced  to  hire  men,  to  stay 
there  the  winter  quarters,  at  extreme  rates,"  etc' 

We  may  therefore  fairly  claim  that  the  occupancy 
of  Vines  and  others  under  Gorges  saved  the  coun- 
try from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  French.  We 
find  the  English  at  Pemaquid  in  1608  and  1609." 
Thither  the  Virginia  colony  sent  annually  for  fish, 
from  1608  and  onward.  Sir  Francis  Popham,  the 
son  of  the  Chief-Justice,  continued  to  send  his  ships 
to  Pfciuaciuid,  and  the  same  ship  was  found  there  by 
Captain  John  Smith,  on  his  first  visit  to  the  coast,  in 
1614.  Belknap  says  that  Vines  came  over  a  long  time 
before  the  settl:^ment  at  Plymouth,  and  the  authori- 
ties concur  in  fixing  it  in  1609.  Sir  Ferdinando 
Gorges,  though  he  does  not  name  the  year,  speak- 
ing of  events  in  the  order  of  their  occurrence,  places 
the  settlement  of  Vines  before  the  voyage  of  Hobson ; 
and  tradition  has  assigned  to  Vines  the  honor  of 
Iioldiug  Pemaquid,  Monhegan,  and  Sagadahoc,  from 
1609  till  he  removed  to  Saco,  where  he  spent  the 
winter  of  1616-17.  Captain  Hobson  came  over  as 
early  as  1611.  Gorges  says  in  connection  with  this 
voyage,  "  for  some  years  together  nothing  to  my 
private  profit  was  realized,  for  what  I  got  one  way 
I  spent  another." 

In  1613,  Argall,  from  the  Virginia  colony,  on 
visiting  the  coast  for  fish,  learned  that  the  French 

'  Gorges'  "  Briefe  Narration."  '  Relations  des  Jesuites. 


*^\ 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  TION.    315 

had  a  tradino-'liouse  at  Penobscot,  and  a  settlement 
at  Mount  Desert,  or  St.  Saviour,  anotlier  at  St. 
Croix,  and  one  at  Port  lloyal.  After  procuring  a 
sufficient  force  lie  broke  up  these  posts  and  destroyed 
St.  Saviour  and  Port  lloyal,  carrying  the  Jesuits 
and  some  of  their  adherents  to  Virginia  as  priaonei*s  ; 
many  of  the  French  settlers  fled  to  the  Avoods,  but 
returned  and  re-occupied  the  places  thus  laid  waste 
by  Argall.  French  fishing  and  trading  ships  were 
constantly  visiting  these  places.  In  June,  1014, 
Captain  Henry  Plarley,  one  of  Popham's  Colony  at 
Sagadahoc,  sailed  in  Gorges'  employ  with  Assacumet, 
one  of  those  natives  first  taken  by  Weymouth,  and 
the  famous  Indian  Epenow,  of  Martha's  Vineyard, 
who  proposed  to  show  them  valuable  mines  of  gold. 
He  was,  as  Gorges  says,  "  a  person  of  goodly  stature, 
strong  and  well  proportioned,"  but  he  escaped  from 
them  as  soon  as  they  came  to  the  coast,  and  the  ex- 
pedition was  productive  t)f  no  useful  results.  It  is 
not  necessary  to  narrate  all  the  events  connected 
with  the  expeditions  to  the  country,  prior  to  1C14, 
when  the  eccentric  but  intrepid  Captain  John  Smith 
appeared  on  the  coast,  in  command  of  four  ships. 

This  venture  of  Smith  paid  a  profit  of  j£l,500, 
"  by  trafiic  in  otter  and  beaver  skins,  salt  fish,  train 
oil,  and  such  other  like  gross  commodities."  Smith 
at  this  time  made  a  plot  or  map  of  the  country, 
since  known  as  Smith's  map  of  New  England,  |)ub- 
lished  in  1616,  and  he  was  made  Admiral  of  I*^ew 
England  by  the  company.  In  1615  Smith  sailed  again 
for  New  England,  in  two  ships,  which  voyage  ])roved 
disastrous.     He  lost  his  masts  in  a  gale,  returned  to 


\ 

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t.  ^^ 


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ilfi 


3 1 6        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  F. 

PlymoiitL,  and  again  sailing  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Frencli.  One  of  the  vessels,  however,  in  command  of 
Captain  Dermer,  made  its  way  to  New  England  and 
returned  well  laden.  In  the  same  year,  Sir  Richard 
Hawkins,  Pi-esident  of  the  Plymouth  Com[)any, depart- 
ed for  these  parts,  and  took  in  a  cai'go  for  Spain,  princi- 
pally fish,  which  proved  a  profitable  business.  In  1G16, 
eight  ships  from  London  and  Plymouth  made  profit- 
able voyages  to  New  England,  and  the  value  of  the 
fisheries  of  Monhegan  was  fully  established.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  Monhegan  was  occupied  with  a 
trading,  though  changing,  population,  many  years  be- 
fore Plymouth  was  settled  ;  and  when  Edward  AVins- 
low,  of  the  Plymouth  flock,  visited  it,  in  May,  1622, 
as  he  says,  "  to  ohtain  victuals  for  our  famishing 
plantation,^''  he  found  there  thirty  ships.  He  also 
says : "  I  found  there  kind  entertainment  and  good 
respect ;  with  a  willingness  to  supply  our  wants ; 
through  provident  and  discreet  care,  we  were  recov- 
ered and  preserved,  till  our  own  crop  in  the  ground 
was  ready." 

Such  was  the  condition  of  New  England  affairs  in 
1616,  befoi'e  war  had  broken  out  among  the  Indian 
tribes,  pestilence  destroyed  the  native  populati<^n,  or 
the  Pilgrim  settlement  been  initiated.  The  country 
was  well  known  along  the  coast,  from  the  Bay  of 
Fundy  to  Cape  Cod,  and  the  fisheries  yielded  abun- 
dant profit.  It  was  comparatively  full  of  people,  a 
native  population,  subsisting  not  only  on  game  .^.nd 
the  products  of  the  soil,  but  on  oysters,  salmon,  and 
the  choicest  fish,  in  which  the  harbors,  rivers,  and 
coves  abounded.     The  territory,  noAV  known  as  the 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  TION.    317 


the 


state  of  Maine,  with  its  numerous  and  well  sheltered 
harbors ;  its  noble  rivers,  swamiing  with  the  most 
valuable  fish ;  its  forests,  of  unrivalled  beauty,  sur- 
passing, in  the  estimation  of  the  navigators,  those  of 
the  north  of  Europe ;  its  soil,  bearing  readily  the 
choicest  grains  of  Europe,  in  addition  to  Indian  com, 
and  the  potato  indigenous  to  this  continent ;  the 
charming  vaiiety  of  scenery  ;  its  undulating  surface ; 
its  climate,  that  for  healthfulness  and  salubrity  left 
nothing  to  desire, — attracted  the  most  skilful  of  the 
European  voyageurs  to  its  shoi'es.  The  region  lying 
between  Cape  Porpoise  (Kennebunk)  and  the  Penob- 
scot was  the  most  frequented  of  all,  for  it  is  by  far 
the  most  beautiful  portion  of  New  England,  and 
the  possession  of  it  excited  the  ambition  of  the 
French  and  English  alike.  It  was  the  seat  of  In- 
dian empire,  more  populous  than  any  portion  of  the 
continent,  the  home  of  the  Bashaba,  whose  authority 
extended  to  Narragansett  Bay.  The  Indians  alvvjiys 
occupied  the  best  portions  of  the  continent  until 
driven  from  them  by  superior  force,  as  seen  in  our 
day  in  the  case  of  the  Cherokees  and  Choctaws  of 
the  South,  and  the  Penobscots  of  our  o\vn  state. 
The  French  were  the  first  to  perceive  this  great 
fact,  and  their  possessions  followed  closely  the 
grounds  held  by  the  Indians.  We  have  not  time 
to  pursue  this  inquiry,  but  we  hazard  nothing  in 
predicting  that  the  seats  of  empire  on  this  conti- 
nent, of  the  European  races  will  eventually  coin- 
cide with  those  of  the  aboriginal  inhabitants. 

The  coast   was  at   that  time  well  delineated  on 
maps  in  common  use ;  the  Dutch  had  a  flouiishing 


^1 


;3 


M 


VtSi,  I  . 


'■m   ) 


11  ^  f  ^ 

mil 


318        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 

colony  on  the  Hudson  river ;  and  on  the  same  day 
that  John  Smith  was  exhibiting  to  Prince  Charles, 
for  his  approval  of  the  names  upon  it,  his  map  of 
New  England;  the  Dutch  figurative  map  of  New 
Netherlands,  extending  east  to  the  Penobscot,  was 
laid  before  the  States-General  for  their  inspection 
and  adoption.  The  early  navigators  saw  nothing  in- 
viting between  Cape  Cod  and  Manhattan,  while  all 
the  harbors  east  of  Cape  Porpoise  were  filled  with 
voyageurs  from  the  Old  World.  In  1602,  when  Gos- 
nold  came  to  New  England,  the  Indians,  clothed  in 
Indian  apparel,  vi>  ited  his  ships  without  any  signs 
of  surprise,  as  at  Pr^(aH(iuid,  in  1607,  the  aborigines 
came  fearlessly  on  boai  ^^  the  vessels  of  Popham  and 
Gilbert;  and  the  famous  Indian  Sagamore  Samoset 
went  from  Pemaquid.  to  greet  the  Pilgrims  at  Ply- 
mouth, in  March,  1621,  with  hearty  welcome  in  their 
own  language.  "  Welcome,  welcome,  En.glislimen,^'' 
said  Samoset,  and  proved  his  friendship  to  the  end 
of  his  life.  The  welcome  of  Samoset  was  sincere,  be- 
cause the  Indian  tiibes,  who  valued  goodly  rivers, 
fertile  fields,  and  abundant  forests,  as  the  best  hunt- 
ing grounds ;  felt  no  jealousy  of  men  who  sought  a 
resting-place  on  the  barren  and  deserted  sands  of  Cape 
Cod,  where  the  native  population  had  been  swept 
oif  by  the  plague.  And  the  Frencli  looked  with 
equal  indifference  on  that  feeble  band  of  fishermen 
whose  location  at  Plymouth  in  no  way  interfered 
with  their  plans  of  dominion  in  the  New  World. 
About  this  time,  1616,  a  bloody  war  broke  out  be- 
tween the  Tarratines,  who  lived  east  of  the  Penob- 
scot, supposed  to  be  incited  to  it  by  the  French,  and 


'1 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  TION.    3 1 9 


^ 


the  Bashaba  of  Pemaquid.  He  was  slain,  and  Lis 
people  destroyed.  At  the  same  time,  a  devastating 
pestilence  swept  off  the  Indian  race  without  injuring 
the  whites.  Gorges  says :  ''  Vines  and  the  rest  with 
him,  that  live  in  the  cabins  with  these  people  that 
died,  not  one  of  them  ever  felt  their  heads  to  ache." 

The  year  1616  brings  us  to  what  may  be  called 
the  Pilgrim  period ;  for  at  this  time  were  initiated 
those  measures  that  resulted  in  what  Mr.  Webster 
called  the  first  settlement  of  New  England.  The 
history  of  the  times  would  disprove  the  popular 
theory,  that  "religious  impulse  accomplished  the 
early  settlement  of  New  England " ;  by  which  is 
meant  the  settlement  therein  of  the  Pilgrims.  But 
the  plan  of  colonizing  America  did  not  originate 
with  them,  nor  were  they  in  any  sense  the  leaders  of 
the  movement.  They  resorted  thither  from  neces- 
sity, and  while  they  profited  by  the  labors  and 
enterprise  of  others,  achieved  nothing  beyond  those 
in  a  subordinate  position.  The  settlement  of  New 
England  was  the  work  of  many  years,  and  was 
achieved  by  the  same  influences  as  those  still  at  work 
to  extend  the  Saxo-Norman  race.  It  was  the  legiti- 
mate result  of  the  commercial  ideas  and  adventurous 
spirit  of  the  times. 

The  Protestant  faith  was  struggling  to  maintain  its 
foothold  in  the  British  Isles  in  the  reigns  of  Henry 
VIIL,  of  Edward  VI.,  and  of  Mary,  and  not  till  the 
reign  of  Elizabeth  was  it  fully  established.  This 
consummation  gave  internal  repose  to  the  nation,  and 
allowed  the  spirit  of  enterprise  to  exi)and  and  ripen. 
This  spirit  sought  employment  in  the  New  World, 


,\  \ 


:      '".i 


% 


\if. 


320       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


»■!?■ 


I'-  -i      *  i i  ■ 


and  drew  from  Elizabeth  the  earliest  charteiu 
The  English  Puritans  exhibited  the  restless  spirit 
of  change  that  had  grown  up  in  the  English  char- 
acter, under  the  influence  of  the  last  fifty  years ;  and 
not  in  the  reign  of  the  despotic  queen,  but  in  the 
reign  of  the  weak  James,  those  who  had  not  property, 
or  court  favor,  naturally  preferred  a  life  of  adventure, 
with  the  hopes  of  profit  or  preferment  in  a  new  coun- 
try. It  was  the  age  of  private  enterprise  and  of  intel- 
lectual freedom.  The  East  India  Company  was  lay- 
ing the  foundation  of  English  empire  in  the  East; 
while  the  Council  of  Virginia  was  planting  the  seeds 
of  a  more  glorious  dominion  over  the  wilds  of  nature 
in  the  West.  T^«^  same  spirit  that  has  filled  the 
valley  of  the  Mio  a^sippi  and  the  Pacific  shore,  with 
natives  of  New  England  and  of  Europe,  within  the 
last  fifty  years,  lOv  to  .  ue  first  emigi-ation  to  America. 

That  "religious  impulse"  led  the  followers  of 
Robinson  to  Leyden,  in  1608,  is  undoubtedly  true, 
but  religious  persecution  in  England  soon  ceased, 
and  no  one  there  suffered  death,  for  that  cause,  after 
1611.  The  forms  of  the  church  service  were  as 
harmless  then  as  now,  and  were  originally  adopted, 
after  long  debate,  by  a  majority  of  one  only,  in  a  full 
convention  of  the  English  clergy,  in  the  reign  of 
Elizabeth.  The  articles  of  the  church  were  Calvin- 
istic,  and  in  no  wise  differed  in  doctrines  from  those 
of  the  Puritans.  Elizabeth  was  a  far  greater  stickler 
for  observance  of  church  ceremonies  than  any  one  of 
her  successors.  But  the  Leyden  flock  did  not  leave 
England  in  her  reign. 

It  is  time  to  vindicate  the  truth  of  history  ;  to  do 
justice  to  the  claims  of  Gorges,  and  to  repel  the 


1 
i 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON  I ZA  TION.    3  2 1 

calumnious  charges  of  the  men  who  founded  the 
Theocracy  of  New  Enghmd, — who  persecuted  alike 
Quakers,  Baptists,  and  Churchmen.  Fifty  years 
after  the  putting  of  men  to  death  for  errors  of  doc- 
trine had  ceased  in  Old  England,  from  which  the 
Massachusetts  Puritans  pretended  to  have  fled  *'  for 
conscience  sake,"  they  executed  men  of  the  most 
blameless  lives  for  the  slightest  differences  of  opin- 
ion, or  doctrine,  in  religion.  On  finding  that  Bap- 
tists and  Quakers  and  Churchmen  were  only 
multiplied  the  more,  by  this  means ;  as  persecution 
grew  more  severe,  they  finally  passed  a  statute,  that 
Quakers  should  be  treated  as  vagabonds,  whipped 
from  town  to  town  by  the  magistrates,  tiU  driven 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  colony.  In  point  of 
fact,  within  the  boundaries  of  the  colony  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay,  from  the  time  they  first  landed,  till  the 
arrival  of  Sir  Edmund  Andros  as  Governor  in  1686, 
the  government  of  Massachusetts  Bay  was  more 
arbitrary  and  intolerant  than  any  despotism  from 
which  they  fled  from  England.  Stripes,  imprison- 
ment, and  even  death  itself  were  inflicted  on  those 
who  regarded  baptism  as  a  sacrament,  fit  only  to  be 
administered  to  those  capable  of  understanding  its 
import.  The  banishment  of  "Wheelwright  and 
others  for  antinomian  heresy,  and  his  escape  into 
Maine,  show  the  character  of  the  times. 

The  Plymouth  flock,  a  portion  of  those  whom 
Robinson  had  gathered  at  Leyden,  were  an  amiable 
and  pious  people.  They  gladly  sought  the  protec- 
tion of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  the  founder  of  the 
New  England  Company,  prior  to  their  removal  from 

II 


■• 


li' 


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n 


322        FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY, 


I  % 


.  Si'' 


Holland,  and  came  out  in  view  of  his  promise  of  a 
charter,  from  whom  they  obtained  it  in  1621.  But 
they  never,  in  fact,  exerted  any  considerable  po- 
litical influence  on  the  histoiy  of  the  continent. 
The  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  on  the  other 
hand,  was  guided  by  the  boldest  set  of  adventurers 
that  ever  set  foot  on  American  soil.  The  fathers  of 
this  colony,  who  first  met  in  Nottinghamshire,  1627, 
and  those  who  led  the  way  afterwards,  were  men 
whom  Charles  had  imprisoned  for  their  too  great 
freedom  of  speech  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and 
who  gladly  escaped  to  America  to  avoid  a  worse  fate 
at  home. 

Sir  Fenlinando  Gorges  readily  gave  them  a  char- 
ter, March  19,  1629.  They  came  over  the  same  year. 
One  condition,  as  Gorges  says,  of  the  grant  was,  that 
it  should  not  be  prejudicial  to  the  previous  grant  to 
his  son,  Robert  Gorges,  made  in  1622,  then  in  the 
actual  occupation  of  his  grantees.  But  writing 
secretly  to  Eudicott,  their  first  governor,  under  date 
of  April  17,  1629,  "  the  Governor  and  deputy  of  the 
New  England  Company  for  a  plantation  in  Massa- 
chusetts Bay,"  residing  in  England,  advise  him,  that 
Mr.  Oldham  had  become  the  grantee  of  Robert 
Gorges,  and  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Blackstone  and  Mr. 
Wm.  Jeffreys  had  been  duly  authorized  to  put  Old- 
ham in  possession  of  the  premises;  yet  they  held  it 
void  in  law,  and  advised  that  "  they  should  take  pos- 
session of  the  chief e  part  thereof,"  and  thus  destroy 
the  value  of  the  grant  previously  given  to  Gorges, 
This  was  done,  and  Gorges'  grantees  were  driven 
out — a  fair  specimen  of  the  sense  of  justice  of  that 


\ 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  TION.    323 

Company.  To  mislead  the  people  of  England  as  to 
their  true  designs,  after  leaving  England,  while  on 
shipboard,  they  publicly  requested  the  prayers  of 
the  English  Church,  for  their  success  in  planting 
"the  Protestant  faith  in  America."  But  on  lan<ling, 
they  forcibly  expelled  the  two  brothers  Brown,  who 
came  over  highly  recommended  by  the  Company  in 
London,  and  against  all  protestations  and  reason  they 
were  sent  back  to  England  by  the  first  vessel  that 
i-eturned,  because  they  absented  themselves  from 
their  meeting  on  the  Sabbath.  These  men,  in  the 
privacy  of  their  own  chamber,  ^vere  guilty  of  follow- 
ing, in  their  devotions,  the  form  of  the  English  lit- 
urgy. For  this  they  were  driven  out  of  the  country. 
The  Massachusetts  Bay  Company  sent  their  char- 
ter with  the  great  seal  of  the  king  to  America,  to 
render  its  recall  the  more  difficult ;  and  when  it  was 
subsequently  vacated  by  writ  of  quo  warranto^  re- 
fused to  comply  with  the  order  of  court  for  its 
return.  The  disputes  at  home,  which  resulted  in  the 
beheading  of  Charles  and  the  Revolution  of  1688  in 
England,  alone  saved  the  leaders  and  their  followers 
from  punishment.  The  Royal  Charter,  uniting  the 
colonies  of  Plymouth,  Massachusetts  Bay,  the  Prov- 
ince of  Maine  and  all  the  country  east  of  it,  under 
the  governorship  of  Sir  Wm.  Phipps,  a  native  of 
Pemaquid,  put  an  end  to  the  Theocracy  of  New 
England  in  1691. 

The  modern  popular  history  of  New  England  has 
sought  to  conceal  the  exact  truth,  and  to  throw 
apology  over  the  grossest  offences.  Those  who  trust 
to  such  early  writers  as  the  Cottons,  the  Mathers,  and 


V 


■' 


'U 


^Ifl 


-  I 


"'i^^'iii' 


■■;-t 
I 

■*.r" 

>>. 
■I 


\ 


m 


324        F/J?ST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


Hubbards  of  former  days ;  on  whom  the  modern  his- 
torians of  Massachusetts  seem  mainly  to  rely,  may 
find  abundant  means  of  correcting  their  opinions. 
We  may,  at  this  time,  venture  to  speak  of  these 
men  as  they  deserve.  The  accurate  and  accom- 
plished historian  of  Rhode  Island,  in  his  recent  his- 
tory, speaking  of  the  Massachusetts  historians,  justly 
says: 

"  The  opinions  of  men  who  maligned  the  purity  of  Williams, 
of  Clarke,  and  of  Gorton,  who  bore  *  false  witness  '  to  the  char- 
acter and  the  acts  of  some  of  the  wisest  and  best  men  who  ever 
lived  in  New  England  ;  who  strove  to  blast  the  reputation  of 
people  whose  liberal  views  they  could  not  comprehend  ;  who 
collected  evidence  to  crush  the  good  name  of  their  more  virtu- 
ous opponents  by  casting  upon  them  the  odium  of  acts  wherein 
they  were  themselves  the  guilty  parties  ;  who  committed  out- 
rages in  the  name  of  God,  far  more  barbarous  than  the  worst 
with  which  they  ever  charged  *  the  usurper ' ; — the  opinions  of 
such  men,  we  say,  are  not  to  be  received  without  a  challenge." 
— Arnold's  "  History  of  Rhode  Island,"  vol.  i.,  p.  14. 

The  impartial  and  graphic  Macaulay  thus  describes 
the  Puritans  of  that  day  : 

"  The  persecution  which  the  separatists  had  undergone  had 
been  severe  enough  to  irritate,  but  not  severe  enough  to  de- 
stroy. They  had  not  been  tamed  into  submission,  but  bated 
into  savageness  and  stubbornness.  After  the  fashion  of  op- 
pressed sects,  they  mistook  their  own  vindictive  feelings  for 
emotions  of  piety  ;  encouraged  in  themselves,  in  reading  and 
meditation,  a  disposition  to  brood  over  their  wrongs  ;  and 
when  they  had  worked  themselves  up  into  hating  their  enemies, 
imagined  that  they  were  only  hating  the  enemies  of  Heaven. 
In  the  New  Testament  there  was  little  indeed  which,  even  when 
perverted  by  the  most  disingenuous  exposition,  could  seem  to 
countenance  the  indulgence  of  malevolent  passions.  But  the 
Old  Testament  contained  the  history  of  a  race  selected  by  God, 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON IZA  TION.    325 


to  be  witnesses  of  his  wrath  and  ministers  of  his  vengeance, 
and  especially  commanded  by  him  to  do  many  things  which, 
if  done  without  his  special  command,  would  have  been  atro- 
cious crimes.  In  such  a  history  it  was  not  difficult  for  fierce 
and  gloomy  spirits  to  find  much  that  might  be  distorted  to  suit 
their  wishes.  The  extreme  Puritans  therefore  began  to  feel 
for  the  Old  Testament  a  preference,  which,  perhaps,  they  did 
not  distinctly  avow,  even  to  themselves,  but  which  showed 
itself  in  all  their  sentiments  aiid  habits.  They  paid  to  the 
Hebrew  language  a  respect  which  they  refused  to  that  tongue 
in  which  the  discourses  of  Jesus  and  the  Epistles  of  Paul  have 
come  down  to  us.  They  baptized  their  children  by  the  names, 
not  of  Christian  saints,  but  of  Hebrew  patriarchs  and  warriors. 
In  defiance  of  the  express  and  reiterated  declarations  of  Luther 
and  Calvin,  they  turned  the  weekly  festival  by  which  the  church 
had,  from  the  primitive  times,  commemorated  the  resurrection 
of  her  Lord,  into  a  Jewish  Sabbath.  They  sought  for  princi- 
ples of  jurisprudence  in  the  Mosaic  law,  and  for  precedents 
to  guide  their  ordinary  conduct  in  the  books  of  Judges  and 
Kings.  Their  thoughts  p.nd  discourses  ran  much  on  acts  which 
were  assuredly  not  recorded  as  examples  for  our  imitation. 
The  prophet  who  hewed  in  pieces  a  captive  king,  the  rebel 
general  who  gave  the  blood  of  a  queen  to  the  dogs,  the  matron, 
who,  in  defiance  of  plighted  faith,  and  of  the  laws  of  Eastern 
hospitality,  drove  the  nail  into  the  brain  of  the  fugitive  ally 
who  had  just  fed  at  her  board,  and  who  was  sleeping  under  the 
shadow  of  her  tent,  were  proposed,  as  models,  to  Christians 
suffering  under  the  tyranny  of  princes  and  prelates." — Macau- 
lay's  "  History  of  England,"  vol.  i.,  p.  62. 

The  most  odious  features  of  Puritan  intolerance 
were  developed  in  Massachusetts,  with  the  rise  of 
that  party  to  power  in  England ;  and  when  the  Com- 
monwealth passed  away  at  home,  the  weak  counsels 
of  the  Stuarts  were  unable  to  control  the  people  of 
New  England.  We  find  the  Massachusetts  Puritans 
persecutors  from  the  outset  of  their  career,  denying 


1 


1 


■•■■"I 


■;■«:» 


3a 6       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IV A  Y. 


Li 


K'il'^ 


the  rights  of  citizenship  to  all  })ut  actual  church 
members,  and  refusing  to  othei-s  j)rotecti<)n  even 
against  the  Indians.  When  the  first  New  Englatid 
league  was  formed  in  1643,  for  better  protection 
against  savage  warfare,  the  delegates  of  Maine  were 
excluded  because  they  were  Churchmen,  and  those 
of  Rhode  Island  because  they  were  Baptists.' 

The  settlement  of  Plymouth  is  clearly  due  to  an 
act  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges.  His  aim  from  the 
first  was  the  settlement  of  the  country,  not  advantage 
to  himself.  He  sought,  by  putting  other  men  promi- 
nently  forward,  and  in  every  other  way,  to  disarm  the 
jealousy  that  always  follows  upright  public  action 
As  Gorges  says :  "  The  planting  of  colonies  in  Amer 
ica  was  undertaken  for  the  advancement  of  religion 
tte  enlargement  of  the  bounds  of  our  nation,  the  in 
crease  of  trade,  and  the  employment  of  many  thou 
sands  of  all  sorts  of  j)eople."  The  grant  obtained  on 
his  request  says,  "  wa%  never  intended  to  he  converted 
to  private  uses,^''  and  in  answer  to  the  Commons,  who 
sought  to  abrogate  his  charter,  he  publicly  offered  to 
surrender  it,  "  not  only  in  behalf  of  himself,  but  of 
the  rest  of  those  interested  in  the  Patent,  so  they 
would  prosecute  the  settling  of  the  plantation  as  was 
first  intended.  Wherein,"  he  said,  "  we  would  be 
their  humble  servants  in  all  that  lay  in  our  power, 
without  looking  to  the  great  charge  that  had  been 
expended  in  the  discovery  and  seizure  of  the  coast, 
and  bringing  it  to  the  pass  it  was  come  unto." 
This  was  "after  they  had  found,  by  our  constant 


'  Bradford's   "  History  of  Plymouth   Plantation,"  p.   416 ;  Brodhead's 
History  of  New  York,"  pp.  361,  362. 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON IZA  TION.     327 


perseverance  therein,  Home  profit  by  a  course  of 
lishiiig  upon  that  coast."  All  writers  agree  that 
after  KUG  the  New  Enghmd  fisheries  were  successful 
and  profitable  to  the  Englisli. 

At  this  time,  or  prior  to  March,  1617,  Gorges,  in 
pursuance  of  his  policy  of  settling  the  country,  in- 
vited the  Leyden  church  to  emigrate  to  America. 
He  says :  "  Before  the  unhappy  controversy  hap 
pened  between  those  of  Virginia  and  myself,  they 
were  forced,  through  the  great  charge  they  had  been 
at,  to  hearken  to  any  propositions  that  might  give 
ease  and  furtherance  to  so  hopeful  a  business.  For 
that  purpose  it  was  referred  to  their  consideration, 
how  necessary  it  was  that  means  might  be  used  to 
draw  into  tliose  enterprises  some  of  those  families 
that  had  retired  themselves  into  Holland  for  scruple 
of  conscience,  giving  them  such  freedom  and  liberty 
as  might  stand  with  their  likings.  This  advict;  being 
hearkened  unto,  there  were,  that  undertook  the  put- 
ting it  in  practice,  and  accordingly  brought  it  forth," 
etc.  "  Such  as  their  weak  fortunes  were  able  to 
provide,"  and  they  "  with  great  difficulty  I'ecovered 
the  coast  of  New  England,"  etc.,  etc.  The  Council 
of  Virginia  still  held  the  country  undei*  the  original 
charter  of  1606,  and  it  was  the  work  of  Gorges 
to  draw  the  I.eyden  flock  to  America.  Bradford 
says :  "  They  liked  not  the  idea  of  going  South." 
They  had  confidence  in  the  success  of  Gorges'  plan 
of  a  separate  charter  for  New  England,  The 
Leyden  flock  early  saw  that  they  must  soon  become 
extinct  if  they  remained  in  Holland.  They  could 
not   remain   longer  in   that   country,  or  return   to 


"A 


3a8 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 


England  to  reside.  They  had  little  or  no  means  of 
support,  and  trusted  to  the  chances  of  obtaining  it, 
in  the  new  employment  of  fishing  and  trading  to 
New  England,  then  so  popular  at  home.  Robert 
Cushman  and  John  Carver  were  sent  to  the  Icing, 
asking  permission  to  "enjoy  liberty  of  conscience  in 
America,  where  they  would  endeavor  the  advance- 
ment of  his  Majesty's  dominions,  and  the  enlarge- 
ment of  the  gos[)el."  "  This,"  his  Majesty  King 
James  said,  "  was  a  good  and  honest  motive,"  and 
asking  "  what  i)rolit  .aight  arise  in  the  part  we  in- 
tended," (the  most  northern  parts  of  Virginia,) 't  was 
answered  "  Fishing."  "  So  God  have  my  soul,"  said 
James,  "  't  is  an  honest  trade,  't  was  the  Apostle's  own 
calling."  Winslow  says :  "  Some  one  of  the  Ply- 
mouth Colony  lent  tliem  .£300  gratis,  for  three  years, 
which  was  I'epaid."  Winslow  further  says  :  "  Some 
of  the  chief  of  the  Plymouth  Company  doubted  not 
to  obtain  our  suit  of  the  king,  for  liberty  in  religion." 
Bradford  says:  "Some  others  wrought  with  the 
Archbishop,  and  they  prev^ailed  in  sounding  his  Ma- 
jesty's mind,  that  he  would  connive  at  them,  and 
not  molest  them,  pi'ovided  they  carried  themselves 
peaceably."  ' 

A  still  greater  difficulty  remained,  the  raising  of 
money  for  the  expedition.  This  was  finally  done 
through  Mr.  Thomas  Weston,  a  merchant  of  London, 
who  with  othei*s,  seventy  in  all,  "some  gentlemen, 
some    merchants,   some   handicraftsmen ;    some   ad- 

'  The  date  of  their  application  was  in  1618,  as  appears  by  the  following  : 
1618.  Seven  articles  which  the  Church  of  Leyden  sent  to  the  Council  of 
England  to  be  coiisiiicreil  of,  in  respect  t>f  their  judgments,  occasioned  about 
their  going  to  Virginia.  /ut(/orsf(/  "  Copy  of  Seven  Articles  sent  unto  the 
Council  of  England  by  the  Brownists  of  Leyden." — "  Calendar  of  Colonial 
Papers,"  vol.  i.,  p.  21. 


THE  FA  TIIER  OF  EN  GUSH  COLONIZA  TFON.     329 


^71 


II 


ventui'ing  great  suiiih,  soiiio  small,  as  their  cntatcia 
aiul  aft'ectionH  nerved."  Hy  the  liard  conditioiiH 
agreed  to,  the  wliole  Le^'den  Company  a<lveiitured 
their  pernoMH,  as  well  as  their  estates,  llutehinsoii 
says:  "They  had  wo  notion  of  cultivating  any  moi-e 
ground  than  would  afford  th(ur  own  niu^essaiy  pi'o- 
visions,  but  proposed  that  their  chief  secular  eni[)loy- 
ment  shouhl  be,  commei'cci  with  the  natives."  Jt  was 
a  trading  company,  not  designing  a  community  of 
goods,  but  a  fair  adventure  in  business.  Any  idea 
of  founding  a  cokmy  or  of  remaining  in  the  country 
beyond  the  seven  years  of  their  partnership,  nowhere 
a[)[)ears  in  tlieir  earlier  movements  or  writings. 
Having  made  up  their  minds  to  emigrate  from 
Holland,  th<^y  formed  a  pai'tnershij)  for  seven  years, 
to  pursue  fishing  and  traffic  in  the  New  Woild.  They 
then  ap[)lied  to  the  Council  of  Virginia  for  a  charter. 
Bradfor<l  says  :  "  I5y  the  advice  of  some  friends, 
the  Patent  was  not  taken  in  the  name  of  any  of 
their  own  C(mi])any,  but  in  the  name  of  Mr.  John 
Wincob,  a  religious  gentleman,  belonging  to  the 
Countess  of  Lincoln,  who  intended  to  go  with  them."  ' 
The  statement  exi)lains  fully  the  relations  of  the 
parties  This  Countess  of  Lincoln  had  the  most 
intimate  relations  with  the  New  Enii-land  settle- 
merits.  Some  of  her  children  afterwards  emigrated 
to  America,  and  lier  daughter  Frances  was  at  that 
time  the  wife  of  John  Gorges,  the  eldest  scm  and  heir 
of  Si!'  Ferdinando. 

Their  departure  from  Deft  Haven,  their  arrival 
in  England,  and  their  trials  in  getting  to  sea  have 
been  narrated  with  a  minuteness  and  i)articularity 

'  Bradford's  "  History  of  Plymouth  Plantation,"  p.  41. 


:il 


1' 


:'i 


) 


II^ 


:i. 


m 


t 


330        FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILV/AY. 

that  leaves  nothing  unsaid,  and  the  voyage  of  the 
Mayflower  is  as  famous  as  that  celebrated  one 
of  ancient  times,  in  quest  of  the  Golden  Fleece. 
Captain  Smith  says  the  Brownists  found  his  chart 
or  map  "cheaper  than  his  employment  as  a  pilot," 
and  with  that  in  their  hands  they  sailed  to  New 
England  and  sought  Milford  Haven,  conspicuously 
laid  down  in  it,  now  Cape  Cod  Harbor.  Here  they 
came  to  anchor,  and  sought  New  Plymouth,  the  pre- 
cise spot  designated  on  Smith's  map  four  years  before, 
When  the  Pilgrims  sailed,  Gorges  had  not  obtain*  I 
the  charter  for  New  England.  On  the  return  of  the 
Mayflower^  they  sent  to  Gorges  for  their  charter.  In 
speaking  of  it,  he  says :  "  They  found  that  the 
authority  they  had  from  the  Company  of  Virginia 
could  not  warrant  their  abode  in  that  place ;  .  .  . 
They  hastened  away  their  ship  with  orders  to  their 
solicitor  to  deal  with  me,  to  be  a  means,  they  might 
have  a  grant  from  the  Council  of  New  England's 
affairs,  to  settle  in  the  place, — which  was  performed 
to  their  particular  satisfaction,  and  good  content  of 
them  all." 

Their  charter  was  dated  June  1,  1621,  granting  to 
John  Pierce,  a  clothworker  of  London,  and  his  asso- 
ciates :  One  hundred  acres  of  land  to  each  settler, 
with  a  nominal  rent,  commencing  at  the  end  of  seven 
years,  the  termination  of  their  partnership  ;  with  lib- 
eral grants  of  land  for  public  uses ;  and  also  certain 
rights  of  hunting,  fishing,  etc.  It  did  not  profess  to 
grant  any  civil  rights,  or  confer  on  them  the  power 
of  making  laws.'     In  that  respect  it  differs  from  the 

'  This  long-lost  charter  has  been  recovered,  and  is  printed  in  full  in  vol. 
ii.,  series  4  of  Massachusetts  Historical  Collections. 


t 


'"'fv| 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON  I ZA  TION.     2>Z  i 


charter  granted  to  Robert  Gorges  in  1622,  which 
vested  ample  powers  for  governing  the  countiy  by 
means  of  a  Parliament, — one  branch,  like  the  Com- 
mons of  England,  chosen  by  the  freeholders  of  New 
England,  the  other  appointed  by  authority  of  the 
Crown,  with  an  Executive  under  the  name  of  Gov- 
ernor.' In  this  charter  to  Robert  Gorges  we  find  the 
model,  or  pattern,  of  the  British  colonial  govern- 
ments of  later  times.  The  division  of  the  powers  of 
government  into  three  branches  was  unknown  to  the 
Pilgrims,  or  to  the  Puritans,  for  a  long  period,  and 
this  accounts  for  the  despotic  character  of  ti.eir  gov- 
ernments. It  was  a  quarrel  in  the  General  Court  of 
Massachusetts  about  Mrs.  Sherman's  pig,  that  led  to 
the  breaking  up  of  the  General  Court  and  its  division 
into  two  branches,  in  1645."  The  Pilgrim  govern- 
ment at  Plymouth,  which  continued  till  the  charter 
of  William  and  Mary  in  1692,  never  attained  to  the 
knowledge  of  a  division  of  the  legislative  power  into 
two  independent  branches.  Their  government  was 
through  the  church. 

The  first  charter  granted  to  the  Plymouth  flock 
came,  therefore,  from  the  original  Council  of  Vir- 
ginia, who  held  at  that  time  the  entire  country. 
Through  Thomas  Weston  they  had  heard  of  the 
plan  of  Gorges,  for  a  separate  grant  of  New  Eng- 
land, and  they  sailed  for  North  Virginia,  trusting  to 
Gorges  for  a  grant. 

The  petition  of  Gorges  for  the  New  England  char- 
ter was  dated  March  3,  1620.     An  order  in  council 


m 


'm. 


m 


'  This  charter  to  Robert  Gorges  is  found  in  full  in  Gorges'  "  Briefe  Narra- 
tion," p.  44  ;  vol.  ii.,  Maine  Historical  Collections. 
•  This  amusing  story  is  found  in  Winthrop's  "  Journal,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  260. 


■ijl 


332 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


I  ! 


111  f  r 


was  made  July  23,  1620,  directing  the  preparation 
of  the  new  charter,  and  it  passed  the  seals  November 
3,  1620.  In  this  charter  it  says  :  "  We  have  been 
humbly  petitioned  unto,  by  our  trusty  and  well  be- 
loved serv^ant,  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  Knight, 
Captain  of  our  Fort  and  Island  by  Plymouth,  and 
by  certain  the  principal  Knights  and  Gentlemen 
Adventurers  of  the  said  Second  Colonye,  and  by 
divers  other  Persons  of  Quality,  who  now  intend 
to  be  their  Associates'  divers  of  which  have 
been  at  great  and  extraordinary  charge,  and  sus- 
tained many  losses  in  seeking  and  discovering  a 
Place  iitt  and  convenient  to  lay  the  Foundation  of 
a  hopeful  plantation,  and  have  years  past,  by  God's 
assistance  and  their  own  Endeavors,  take?i  actual 
Possession  of  the  Continent  hereafter  onentioned  in 
our  name  and  to  our  use  as  Sovereign  Lord  thereof 
and  have  settled  already  some  of  our  people  in  places 
agreeahle  to  their  Desires  in  those  places;  and  in 
Confidence  of  prosperous  Success  therein,  by  the 
Continuance  of  God's  Divine  Blessing,  and  our 
Royall  permission,  have  resolved  in  a  more  plenti- 
ful and  effectual  manner  to  prosecute  the  same." 

That  Gorges  had  complete  possession  of  the  coun- 
try  before  the  Plymouth  people  came  over,  is  also 
shown  by  the  complaints  against  him  for  a  monop. 
oly  in  fishing.  Ha  had  brought  the  country  suffi- 
ciently into  notice  to  attract  thither  the  Pilgrim  flock. 
To  deny  to  Gorges,  therefore,  the  glory  of  being 
the  founder  of  New  England  because  his  own  colony 
was  overshadowed  by  that  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  is 
as  unjust  as  it  would  be  to  deny  to  Columbus  credit 


8US- 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  TION.    m 

as  the  discoverer  of  America,  and  to  assign  the  glory 
of  it  to  Sebastian  Cabot ;  simply  because  Cabot  first 
discovered  the  mainland  of  the  continent  seventeen 
months  before  it  was  seen  by  Columbus.  All  fair 
minds  agree  that  it  was  the  far-sighted  and  gifted 
Genoese,  who,  by  inspiration,  looked  through  the 
darkness  of  ages,  forecast  the  future,  and  pointed  the 
way  for  Cabot  and  Vespucci  to  the  New  World 
across  the  ocean,  though  his  modesty  permitted  the 
name  of  another  to  be  given  to  it ;  that  of  Cabotia, 
which  for  a  time  gained  favor,  yielding  to  that  of 
America.  Still  more  clearly  than  Columbus  did  the 
instinctive  sagacity  of  Gorges  foresee  and  predict  the 
fniits  of  his  own  great  endeavor,  and  behold  a  rising 
state  in  America  free  from  European  control.  And 
yet  for  the  last  thirty-nine  years,  or  since  Mr.  Web- 
ster's great  speech  at  Plymouth,  on  December  22, 
1820,  the  truth  of  severe  history  has  been  overlooked 
in  admiration  of  the  creations  of  his  genius. 

As  an  epic  poem,  Mr.  Webster's  speech  stands  in 
the  same  relation  to  history  as  the  Iliad  of  Homer  or 
the  ^neid  of  Virgil.  The  war  of  the  gods  on 
Olympus,  and  the  flight  of  Anchises,  regarded  at 
one  time  as  historic  truths,  were  just  as  real  and  true 
to  history  as  Mr.  Webster's  description  of  the  land- 
ing of  the  Pilgrims.  Among  all  the  achievements 
of  Mr.  Webster,  there  is  nothing  that  shows  his  real 
greatness  so  much  as  those  efforts,  by  which,  in  the 
style  and  manner  of  the  ancient  historians,  he  em- 
bodies in  an  impressive  form  the  great  facts  and 
ideas  that  are  supposed  to  govern  human  affairs. 
It  is   fair   to   apply  to   this   composition   the  defi- 


•1 

■J 


'ft 


■  ' .  it 


■■'S 

1 

4 

1 
1 

;■' 

.H 

t 

*'l' 


334       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 

nition  of  "  Classical  History,"  so  clearly  and  beau- 
tifully expressed  in  his  address  before  the  New 
York  Historical  Society  of  February  22,  1852. 
This  Pilgrim  speech  is  a  true  specimen  of  classical 
history,  "  not,"  as  he  says,  "  a  memoir,  or  a  crude 
collection  of  acts,  occurrences,  and  dates;  it  is  a 
composition,  a  production,  which  has  unity  of  de- 
sign, like  a  work  of  statuary  or  of  painting."  As 
such,  his  Plymouth  speech  bears  the  impress  of  his 
creative  mind.  He  transferred  to  the  Plymouth 
panorama  a  representation  of  the  heroic  achievements 
of  Gorges,  of  Popham,  and  of  Vines.  Mr.  Webster's 
poetry  has  been  regarded  as  history.  But  it  is  such 
history  as  are  the  writings  of  Livy,  or  the  historic 
plays  of  Shakespeare.  The  mission  of  the  poet  pre- 
cedes that  of  the  historian,  and  the  imaginary  char- 
acters of  a  poetic  mind  continue  for  a  while  to  walk 
the  earth  under  the  shadow  of  a  great  name.  The 
Pilgrims  have  richly  enjoyed  this  distinguished  honor. 
The  Hon.  Edward  Everett,  evidently  on  the  author- 
ity of  Mr.  Webster,  says,  in  his  Plymouth  speech, 
four  years  later  :  "  This,  the  source  of  our  being,  the 
birthday  of  all  New  England, — this  grand  under- 
taking was  accomplished  on  the  spot  where  we  now 
dwell.  ...  A  continent  for  the  jirst  time  explored,  a 
vast  ocean  traversed  by  men,  women,  and  children, 
voluntarily  exiling  themselves  from  the  fairest  por- 
tions of  the  Old  World,"  etc.  Modern  historians  of 
the  Massachusetts  school  have  since  then  taken  these 
flights  of  poetic  fancy  for  historic  verities,  and  sought 
to  elevate  them  into  the  dignity  of  history.  They 
might  as  well  insist,  that  a  modern  Fourth  of  July 


|i8 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON  I ZA  TION.    335 


•M  r  I 


oration  was  the  cause  of  our  lievolutionaiy  war, 
though  uttered  some  years  after  that  event  had  taken 
place. 

Kegarded  as  a  political  event,  the  Plymouth  settle- 
ment was  not  of  the  slighest  consequence  or  import- 
ance. It  neither  aided  nor  retarded  the  settlement 
of  the  country,  and  is  of  no  moment  except  as  the 
actors  in  that  work  were  concerned,  or  those  who 
claim  thence  their  inheritance.  As  a  tale  of  indi- 
vidual and  personal  heroism,  in  which  patient  resig- 
nation was  mingled  with  superstitious  confidence,  it 
deserves  sympathy  and  respect.  But  those  who 
seek  to  give  it  political  importance  confound  the 
Plymouth  settlement  with  that  of  the  Puritan  Com- 
monwealth of  Massachusetts  Bay :  two  events  as 
independent  of  each  other  in  every  respect  as  was 
the  settlement  of  New  Netherlands  from  that  of 
Lord  Baltimore,  on  the  Chesapeake.  The  Pilgrims 
had  at  the  outset  no  idea  of  founding  a  colony.  The 
idea  may  have  been  suggested  to  them  by  the  lan- 
guage of  the  charter  of  June,  1621.  It  is  true,  they 
dignified  their  head  officer  with  the  title  of  governor, 
a  term  formerly  applied  to  the  head  of  any  family 
or  company.  He  had  no  civil  authority  whatever, 
and  the  fact  that  for  the  first  seven  years  no  records 
of  any  sort  were  kept,  and  not  a  scrap  of  written 
histoiy  made,  prior  to  1627,  shows  how  primitive 
were  all  their  ideas  of  government  and  of  property. 

Bradford  began  his  history  in  1630,  and  at  a  later 
date,  rejoicing  over  the  downfall  of  the  bishops,  in 
the  days  of  the  Commonwealth,  he  appends  thereto 
the  following   comments :    '*  When   I   began   these 


IS 


m 


'.i 


Ji 


336        Fins T  IN 7  ERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


scribbled  writings,  which  was  about  the  year  1630, 
and  so  peeced  up  at  times  of  leasure,  afterwards; 
little  did  I  think  their  downfall  was  so  near,"  etc/ 
The  compact  signed  on  board  the  Mayflower,  under 
date  of  November  11,  1620,  which  has  been  eulo- 
gized as  "  the  germ  of  republican  freedom,"  was,  as 
Bradford  says,  "  a  combination,  occasioned  partly 
by  the  discontented  and  mutinous  speeches  that 
when  they  came  ashore,  they  would  use  their  own 
libertie,"  etc."  In  1632,  the  first  records  of  Plymouth 
Colony  were  commenced,  but  they  had  before  them 
the  example  of  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay 
whose  records  are  of  the  same  date  as  their  settle- 
ment. The  famous  Captain  John  Smith,  a  cotem- 
porary,  says  :  "  About  one  hundred  Brownists  went 
to  Plymouth,  whose  humorous  ignorance  caused 
them  to  endure  a  wonderful  deal  of  misery,  with 
infinite  patience." 

It  was  under  the  charter  given  to  John  Wincob, 
and  in  the  protection  of  the  original  Virginia  Com- 
pany, with  the  map  of  Smith  for  their  guide,  they 
came  to  America,  too  poor  to  own  their  vessel, 
or  to  pay  for  the  land  they  should  here  occupy ;  and 

'  Bradford's  "  History  of  Plymouth,"  p.  6. 

'  Bradford  thus  explains  the  matter  :  "I  shall  a  little  returne  backe  and 
begine  with  a  combination  made  by  them  before  they  went  ashore,  being  ye 
first  foundation  of  their  governmente  in  this  place ;  occasioned  partly  by  ye 
discontented  and  mutinous  speeches  that  some  of  the  strangers  amongst 
them  had  let  fall  from  them  in  ye  ship.  That  when  they  came  ashore  they 
would  use  their  own  libertie  ;  for  none  had  power  to  command  them  ;  the 
patente  they  had  being  for  Virginia,  and  not  for  New-england,  which  be- 
longed to  an  other  Government,  with  which  ye  Virginia  Company  had  noth- 
ing to  doe.  And  partly  that  such  an  acte  by  them  done  (this  their  condition 
considered)  might  be  as  firme  as  any  patent,  and  in  some  respects  more 
sure." 


"■  i"W 


1! 


and 

ngye 

by  ye 

nongst 

they 

;  the 

ch  be- 

noth- 

dition 

more 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COL ONIZA  TION.    337 

yet  these  obligations  were  never  repaid,  or  acknowl- 
edged. The  representations  of  Mr.  Everett  and 
others  would  lead  us  to  suppose  that  the  Pilgrims 
embarked  for  America  across  an  unknown  sea,  to 
seek  a  resting-place  in  thickest  darkness  of  ignorance, 
like  that  deep  mystery  that  shrouded  the  Atlantic 
when  the  vessel  of  Columbus  first  turned  its  prow 
westward  from  the  Canaries,  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-eight years  before.  Oratory,  painting,  and  poetiy 
have  brought  their  richest  gifts  to  the  Pilgrim  altar, 
and  raised  this  feeble  band  of  unlettered  men  to  the 
rank  of  statesmen  and  heroes.  The  genius  of  Web- 
ster, the  oratory  of  Everett,  the  industry  of  Ban- 
croft, and  the  zeal  of  Palfrey  have  not  failed  to 
offer  incense  to  the  pride  of  Massachusetts  as  the 
leading  community  of  the  western  world, — and  in 
their  devotion  to  her,  overlooked  the  great  influences 
that  for  a  whole  generation  had  been  preparing  the 
way  for  the  secure  occupation  of  her  soil.  And 
they  have  too  readily  followed  the  authority  of 
those  partisan  writers,  whose  zeal  for  their  own 
cause  has  outrun  their  sense  of  justice.  And  historic 
truth  demands  that  the  view  of  the  character  of 
Gorges,  as  drawn  by  the  two  latter,  should  be 
corrected  by  the  light  of  more  recently  discovered 
information.  Gorges'  defence  against  the  charge  of 
having  unjustly  betrayed  the  Earl  of  Essex  refutes 
it  altogether,  and  should  dispel  the  prejudice  that 
Mr.  Palfrey's  recent  w^ork  is  calculated  to  perpetuate. 
The  long-lost  history  of  Bradford,  recovered  in 
1855,  and  published  in  1856,  since  the  first  issue  of 
Mr.  Bancroft's  earliest  volumes,  will,  undoubtedly, 


.i 


■',.il 


..   'i 


■hi 


338       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


lead  to  a  modification  of  the  views  expressed  by  liiin 
as  to  the  claims  of  Gorges.  It  seems  strange  that  the 
Pilgrims  should  have  been  advanced  to  the  condition 
of  lieroes ;  while  the  services  of  Gorges  in  a  long  and 
illustrious  life  of  duty  sliould  have  been  overlooked 
and  forgotten.  But  this  is  not  difficult  of  explanation. 
By  force  of  accident,  not  now  needful  to  relate,  the 
colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay  became  the  leading  one 
of  New  England ;  and  its  population  have  always, 
beyond  any  other  people,  indulged  their  jiride  of  an- 
cestry, Mr.  Webster  easily  sympathized  with  that 
spirit  of  Massachusetts  that  demanded  for  her  the 
proud  title  of  "  Parent  Commonwealth."  He  en- 
stamped  on  his  time,  beyond  any  man  of  tliis  coun- 
try, the  impress  of  his  own  proud  and  heroic  spirit. 
He  inspired  a  love  of  country,  a  pride  of  home,  a  feel- 
ing of  contentment  and  satisfaction  favorable  to  indus- 
tiy,  to  religious  sentiment,  and  the  accumulation  of 
property.  The  industrial  superiority  of  that  state,  the 
growth  of  the  last  thirty  years,  is  largely  due  to  the 
elevated  sentiments  by  him  inspired. 

With  the  progress  of  refinement  and  the  increase 
of  wealth  in  every  civilized  community  of  every  age, 
there  is  a  tendency  to  exaggerate  the  past,  to  under- 
value the  present,  and  to  question  all  anticipations 
for  the  future.  As  wearj  age  looks  at  existing  facts 
as  the  limit  of  human  experience,  the  poetic  mind 
encourages  future  hopes,  reproducing  from  the  past 
all  the  varied  forms  of  beauty  or  grandeur  that  the 
page  of  romance  has  foreshadowed — and  every  culti- 
vated community  must  have  its  classic  and  romantic 
age,  demanding  a  corresponding  history.   It  glories  in 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COL ONIZA  TION.    339 


IW^WM 


after  years  in  the  fabled  greatness  of  a  remote  but 
heroic  ancestry,  till  severe  history  dispels  the  poetic 
charm.  The  Egyptian  tradition  pointed  in  after  yeai-a 
to  the  days  of  its  earlier  grandeur  a  thousand  years 
before  the  great  Menes,  the  founder  of  the  temple 
of  Karnac,  whose  dynasty  commenced  thirty-four 
centuries  before  the  Christian  era.  The  Grecian 
poets  of  its  more  modern  times  constantly  dwelt  on 
the  fabled  glories  of  the  past,  the  age  that  preceded 
the  days  of  Homer  and  Hesiod ;  and  the  Roman 
orators  in  the  proudest  days  of  its  luxurious  civiliza- 
tion pointed  back  to  the  foundation  of  Rome,  whose 
fabled  city  was  but  the  rudest  structure  of  savage 
life.  England  glories  still  in  the  crude  institutions 
of  Alfred,  while  France  with  greater  glory  recounts 
the  heroic  deeds  of  Charlemagne. 

New  England  has  had  her  days  of  hero-worship, 
and  brought  her  devout  offerings  in  the  same  spirit 
to  the  shrine  of  the  Pilgrims,  and  raised  them  from 
the  humble  condition  of  artisans  and  laborers  to  the 
rank  of  founders  of  empires;  and  the  sentimental 
Mrs.  Hemans,  under  the  spell  of  Mr.  Webster's 
genius,  has  thrown  the  charms  of  her  poetic  fancy 
around  the  rude  homes  of  its  early  settlers.  All 
this  is  a  pure  myth.  The  war  of  the  gods  on 
Olympus  and  the  mythic  tales  of  the  love  of  Sappho, 
are  just  as  real.  Had  the  Pilgrims  landed  on  the 
rocky  cliffs  of  Sagadahoc,  of  Donaquet,  or  of  Pema- 
quid,  the  poetic  fancy  of  Mrs.  Hemans  might  have 
had  the  color  of  the  truth.  But  to  talk  of  "the 
rock-bound  coast "  of  Plymouth,  amid  the  sands  of 
Cape   Cod;  and   of  "the   giant   branches"   of  the 


'W 


..^ 


■■:■■! 

Hi 'I 


% 


B'il'  '  :> 


m' 


mm 


340        FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

scrubby  pines  on  the  south  shore  of  Massachusetts 
Bay,  is  simply  a  flight  of  fancy.  "  The  bleak  and 
death-like  desolation  of  nature "  which,  as  Mr. 
Everett  truly  says,  "  met  the  eyes  of  the  Pilgrims  on 
their  approach  to  land  "  is  changed  by  the  exuberant 
fancy  of  Mrs.  Hemans  into  chai'ming  spots  like  those 
which  the  voyagera  had  found  in  the  rich  forests  of 
that  Norumbega, whose  praises  had  been  sung  by  John 
Milton.  The  beautiful  retreats  at  Diamond  Cove  and 
Pentecost  Harbor, — the  rich  forests  on  the  banks  of 
the  Penobscot,  the  Sheepscot,  and  the  Kennebec,  had 
attracted  thither  numerous  voyagers  from  the  Old 
World,  before  the  Leyden  church  had  been  gathered 
under  the  chaige  of  the  pious  Robinson.  New 
England  had  all  the  attractions  described  by  the 
early  navigators  answering  the  poetic  descriptions 
of  Mrs.  Hemans.  It  had  "good  harbors,  very  good 
fishing,  much  fowl,  noble  forests,  gallant  rivers,  and 
the  land  as  good  ground  as  any  can  desire."  But 
this  does  not  apply  to  the  region  where  the  Pilgrims 
made  their  home. 

Let  every  one  read  the  poetic  descnption  of  the 
landing  of  the  Pilgrims  by  Mr.  Webster,  and  study 
the  picture  of  it  by  Sargent,  with  the  simple  history 
of  Bradford  in  his  hands;  and  he  is  lost  in  admiration, 
like  that  which  the  student  of  classic  history  feels,  in 
the  perusal  of  the  works  of  the  great  master  of  epic 
poetry.  According  to  Bradford,  they  embai'ked  at 
Deft  Haven,  July  21, 1620,  sailed  from  Southampton 
August  5,  put  back  twice, — persevered  in  their 
plans,  and  espied  Cape  Cod  November  9,  1620,  ol< 
style,  and  came  to  anchor  in  Cape  Cod  harboi 
November  11,  1620,  and  on  the  same  day  signed 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  TION.    341 

their  compact  of  government,  and  chose,  or  rather 
confirmed,  John  Carvei',  governor. 

Their  ship  remained  at  Cape  Cod  till  December  25, 
1620,  new  style.  Prior  to  this,  Bradford,  Standish, 
and  others  had  explored  the  country,  setting  out 
on  December  16.  On  December  21  they  passed 
through  Plymouth,  and  returned  to  the  ship  Decem- 
ber 24.  After  mucli  doubt  and  difficulty  and  days 
of  wandering,  on  Wednesday,  December  30,  they 
detei'mined  on  their  place  of  settlement.  On  Jan- 
uary 4,  1621,  they  went  fii-st  on  shore,  and  began  to 
cut  timber  for  a  house.  The  Mayjlower  remained  in 
the  harbor  till  April  15,  when  she  departed  for 
England.  Till  then  a  large  portion  of  them  lived  on 
shi[)board,  and  there  is  no  account  of  any  distinct  or 
specific  act  of  landing.  The  winter  was  mild  beyond 
example,  and  when  Samoset,  "  the  Sagamore  of  Mor- 
atiggon,  arrived,  March  2(5,  he  was  stark  naked,  only 
a  leather  about  his  waist,  with  a  fringe  about  a  span 
lonir,  or  a  little  or  more."  Had  the  winter  been  as 
usual,  or  severe  as  that  of  1607,  when  Popham  win- 
tered at  Sagadahoc,  not  a  soul  of  them  could  have 
survived.  Modern  historians  have  accidentally  fixed 
on  December  22  as  the  landing  of  the  Pilgnms,  and 
they  attempt  to  justify  it  by  the  statement  of  Brad- 
ford, that  on  that  day  the  explorers  passed  through 
Plymouth  and  pitched  upon  it  as  one  spot,  to  be 
recommended  for  the  settlement.  But  unfortunate- 
ly for  their  accuracy,  this  day  was  the  twenty-first, 
and  the  adoption  of  the  twenty-second  is  not  justified 
Sy  any  fact  whatever.' 

'  "  And  this  being  the  last  day  of  ye  week  (Saturday,  Dec.    19,  n.  s.) 
they  prepared  'ther  to  keep  ye  Sabbath.   On  Munday  they  sounded  ye  harbor, 


-'.1 
■■;!';! 


34* 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  JVA  Y. 


K' 


Mr' 


^-^-^J 


The  gi'eat  ni'sfdi'tiine  of  Gorges  was  that,  as  a  man 
of  true  honor,  he  felt  compelled  to  siippoi't  the  for- 
tunes of  the  weak  and  decaying  Stuai-t  dynasty, 
to  which  he  remained  true  to  the  last.  lie  also  suf- 
fered in  his  fortunes  in  not  emiccraiinc:  to  America. 
In  a  paper  on  file  in  the  English  State-Paper 
Office,  (pioted  in  the  recent  vol.une  of  Mr.  Folsom, 
it  is  stated  that  Gorc^es  came  to  New  Enifland  with 
Mason  in  1649,"  but  we  find  no  confirmation  of  this 
statement  elsewhere.     lie  was  conimissi(med,  it  is 

and  fouiulo  it  fitt  for  sliipping  ;  and  marclied  into  ye  land,  and  found  diverse 
cornfeilds,  and  litle  nining  brooks,  a  place  (as  they  siippcjsed)  fitt  for  situation  ; 
at  least  it  was  ye  best  they  coulil  find,  and  ye  senson,  and  their  prcsente 
iiecessitie,  made  them  glad  to  accepte  of  it.  So  they  returned  to  their  shipp 
again  with  this  news  to  ye  rest  of  their  people,  wiiich  did  much  con>fofte  their 
harts. 

"  On  ye  15,  (25  n.  s.)  of  Desemr,  they  waycd  anchor  to  go  to  ye  place  they 
had  discovered,  and  came  within  2  leagues  of  it,  but  were  faine  to  bear  I'p 
aj^aine ;  but  ye  16,  (26)  day  ye  wimle  came  faire.  and  they  arrived  safe  in  this 
harbor.  And  after  wards  tooke  better  view  of  ye  place,  and  resolved  whcr 
to  pitch  their  dwellings  ;  and  ye  25  day  (Jan.  4,  1621,  n.  s.)  begane  to  crccte 
ye  first  house  for  common  use  to  receive  tnem  and  their  goods." — Bradford's 
"  History,"  pp.  88,  89. 

The  above  contains  all  that  relates  to  the  famous  Landing  of  the  Pilp'iins 
on  Plymottth  Kock.  The  intelligent  reader  instinctively  smiles  at  this  recital, 
when  he  contrasts  this  simple  statement  with  the  gorgeous  decoration  of  the 
event  by  Mr.  Webster.  When  the  anniversary  of  the  Landing  of  the  Pil- 
grims was  instituted,  in  1769,  the  authors  added  eleven  days  for  difference  of 
style,  instead  of  ten  the  true  difference.  They  fixed  on  Monday,  the  day 
*'■  thtv  sounded  the  harbor  and  marched  into  thc'la)id,"  as  the  one  most  deserv- 
ing of  commemoration.  From  this  has  grown  the  magnificent  conception  uf 
the  Landing  of  the  Pilgrims  ! 

'  The  title  and  ease  of  Robert  I\lason  touching  the  provinee  of  New  Hampshire 

in  Nexil  England. 

A'  1616  King  James  L  sends  John  Mason  Ksq.  as  Governor  to  Newfound- 
land, who  after  remaining  there  two  years  was  ordered  to  New  England  and 
with  Sir  J-'erdinando  Gorges  made  a  voyage  along  the  coast  in  1619,  account 
of  ivbith  they  furnished  to  his  Majesty.  A"  1620  the  King  grants  by  Char- 
ter to  some  of  the  nobility  under  the  title  of  the  Council  of  New  England 
the  territory  called  New  England  with  divers  privileges  &c. — Folsom's  Cata- 
logue, 1G74-5,  March. 


ilulu' 


\^k 


p^ 


1 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLON  I ZA  TION.    343 


true,  by  the  king  as  Governor  of  New  England  in 
1637,  but  from  the  accidental  loss  of  the  s-iip  in 
vvhicli  he  was  to  embark  he  did  not  set  sail  for 
America. 

But  he  persevered  in  his  great  woi-k,  and  lived  to 
see  in  New  England  prosperous  connnunities,  and 
his  province  of  Mayne  the  besi  governed  of  all.  He 
not  only  established  the  Pilgrims  at  Plymouth,  but 
subsequently  caused  to  be  granted  to  them  a  large 
and  valuable  tract  of  land  on  the  Kennebec,  with  an 
enlargement  of  their  charter,  January  3,  1021).  Nova 
Scotia  was  also  granted  to  Sir  William  Alexander, 
afterward  Lord  Stirling,  in  1G21.  lie  established 
his  son,  Robeit  Gorges,  by  grant  at  Nahant  and 
Boston,  in  1C22.  After  this  he  planted  Agamenti- 
cus,  and  when  Christopher  Levett  came  over  in  1623, 
for  the  [>urpose  of  fixing  on  a  place  of  settlement,  he 
found  that  Monhegan,  Peniaquid,  and  Cape  Newa- 
gan  liad  been  already  taken  up,  and  he  selected  the 
peninsula  of  Machegonne,  now  the  site  of  the  city  of 
Poi'tland,  for  himself.  There  he  built  his  house,  and 
gave,  to  what  is  now  known  us  Fore  Kiver,  his  own 
name,  calling  it  Levett's  River.  The  Cape  Ann  set- 
tlement was  made  in  1625,  under  a  charter  from 
Lord  Sheffield,  but  not  continued  ;  and  finally,  the 
Company  of  Massachusetts  Bay  came  over  in  1029, 
whose  men  of  deed  and  daring  finally  overrun  the 
whole  of  New  En<>;land,  and  led  Gorijes  to  ')redict 
the  final  separation  of  their  govei  anient  from  that  of 
the  British  crown.  lie  says  :  "  Some  of  the  dis- 
creeter  sort,  to  avoid  what  they  found  themselves 
subject  unto,  made  use  of  their  friends  to  procure 


■ :  ii-'  i 


n 


*\\ 


'■    Si 


344       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


i 


ill 

I'  ".'ft 


^m 


ill 


p:j  : 

fi' 

HRv' 

H|P|m|  I 

from  the  Council  for  the  Affairs  of  New  England  to 
settle  a  Colony  within  their  limits ;  to  which  it 
pleased  the  thrice-honored  Lord  of  Warwick  to  write 
to  me,  then  at  Plymouth,  to  condescend  that  a  Pat- 
ent might  be  granted  to  such  as  then  sued  for  it. 
Whereupon  I  gave  my  approbation  so  far  forth  as  it 
might  not  be  prejudicial  to  my  son  Robert  Gorges' 
interests,  whereof  he  had  a  Patent  under  the  seal  of 
the  Council.  Hereupon  there  was  a  grant  passed  as 
was  thought  reasonable  ;  but  the  same  was  after  en- 
larged by  his  Majesty,  and  confirmed  under  the 
great  seal  of  England ;  by  the  authority  whereof  the 
undertaking  proceeded  so  effectually,  that  in  a 
very  short  time  numbers  of  the  people  of  all  sorts 
flocked  thither  in  heaps,  that  at  last  it  was  specially 
ordered  by  the  King's  command,  that  none  should 
be  suffered  to  go  without  license  first  had  and  ob- 
tained, and  they  to  take  the  oaths  of  supremacy  and 
allegiance.  So  that  wliat  I  long  before  prophesied, 
when  I  could  hardly  get  any  for  money  to  reside 
there,  was  now  brought  to  pass  in  a  high  measure. 
The  reason  of  that  restraint  was  grounded  upon  the 
several  complaints,  that  came  out  of  those  parts,  of 
the  divers  sects  and  schisms,  that  were  amongst 
them,  all  contemning  the  public  government  of  the 
ecclesiastical  state.  And  it  was  doubted  that  they 
would,  in  short  time,  wholly  shake  off  the  royal 
jurisdiction  of  the  sovereign  magistrate."  '  Gorges 
seems  to  have  reached  that  conviction,  common 
to  our  race,  at  this  time,  that  it  is  capable  of  shap- 
ing  its  government  to   the   wants  of  the   people, 


1  •• 


Briefe  Narration,"  p.  51. 


w 


I"TIW 


P 


the 
of 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  TION.    345 

and  that  Episcopalian  or  Puritan  theology,  can- 
not for  any  length  jpI  time  find  cause  of  difference. 
He  never  persecuted ;  on  the  contrary,  he  wel- 
comed those  who  escaped  Puritan  persecution  in 
New  England,  or  those  who  sought  refuge  from 
priestly  domination  at  home.  He  granted  lands  in 
Maine  to  Rev.  John  Wheelwright  and  others,  who 
fled  from  Massachusetts,  first  into  New  Hampshire, 
and  then  into  Maine,  banished  on  account  of  errors 
of  doctrine ;  and  was  earlier  than  Rhode  Island  in 
the  practical  adoption  of  unlimited  freedom  of 
opinion.  That  he  should  have  suffered  in  the  esti- 
mation of  the  Puritans,  and  be  denounced  by  them 
in  opprobrious  terms  for  being  a  royalist  and  a 
churchman,  ought  not  at  this  time  to  diminish 
from  the  respect  fairly  due  for  his  great  services. 
But  for  Gorges  the  western  continent  must  have 
fallen  under  the  dominion  of  Roman  Catholic 
France;  and  Keltic  civilization  would  have  changed 
its  destiny,  f  r  all  New  England  was  in  possession 
of  the  French  prior  to  1606.  They  had  secured 
the  favor  of  the  savages  and  held  the  country  from 
Cape  Malabarre  to  the  St.  Lawrence.  1  hey  do  not 
seem  to  have  been  aware  of  the  voyages  of  Gosnold, 
of  Pring,  or  of  Weymouth,  though  fully  alive  to 
the  danger  that  threatened  heir  possessions  by 
the  plantmg  of  the  colony  of  Popham,  at  Saga- 
dahoc' 

'  In  a  previous  note  we  have  referred  to  the  correspondence  between  the 
French  ambass  dor,  Count  de  Tillieres,  and  the  British  government.  In 
Gorges'  "  Briefe  Narration,"  p.  40,  he  thus  speaks  of  this  matter : 

"  The  French  Ambassador  made  challenge  of  those  territories  granted  us 
by  the  King,  our  sovereign,  in  the  behalf  the  King  of  France,  his  master,  as 
belonging  to  his  subjects,  that  by  his  authority  were  possessed  thereof  as  a 


,1 


!    >; 


.Yk 


!1 


346        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


Witli  all  the  efforts  of  Gorges,  the  labors  of  the 
Puritans,  and  the  zeal  of  the  British  race  from  1606 
to  1759,  the  French  held  twenty  times  the  extent  of 
the  English  territory  on  the  continent,  till  the  great 
strugglt  took  place  one  hundred  years  ago  on  the 
Plains  of  Abraham,  and  the  power  of  France  passed 
from  the  continent  forever. 

Compare  the  services  of  Gorges  with  those  of 
Wolfe ;  and  all  will  agree  that  the  claims  of  the  for- 
mer far  surpass  in  real  magnitude  those  of  the  latter. 
Yet  the  name  of  Wolfe  is  immortal,  while  that  of 
Gorges  is  comparatively  unknown.  As  the  heroic 
soul  of  Wolfe  was  Just  ready  to  take  its  flight  to  the 
world  of  spirits  from  the  field  of  battle,  as  the  light 
had  faded  from  his  vision,  his  ear  caught  the  words, 
"  They  fly ! "  "  They  fly  ! "  "  Who  fly  ? "  said  the 
dying  hero.  "The  French,"  said  the  attendant. 
"  What,  so  soon  ? "  said  Wolfe ;  "  then  I  die  content," 
and  expired  at  the  moment  of  victory.  He  knew 
that  he  had  gained  an  undying  fame.  The  glory 
accorded  to  Wolfe  for  the  conquest  of  Canada 
followed  at  once  as  the  fruits  of  that  victory.  But 
those,  like  Columbus  or  Gorges,  who  labor  for 
their  countiy  or  for  mankind  in  the  less  brilliant 
pursuits  of  peace,  must  wait  the  slow  but  ever 
faithful  record  of  severe  history  to  do  them  justice. 
AVhen  Columbus  in  old  age,  worn  out  in  the  ser- 
vice of  his  adopted  country,  died  amid  j^overty  and 
neglect,  they  placed  over    his  grave  these  words : 

part  of  New  France.  To  which  I  was  commanded  by  the  King  to  give 
answer  to  the  Ambassador  his  claim,  which  was  sent  me  from  the  Lord 
Treasurer  under  tlie  title  of  I.c  Memorial  dc  Monsieur  Seigneur  le  Conte  dc 
'JllliereSy  Ainlxissadeur  pour  le  Roy  de  France.  Wherr'ipon  I  made  so  full  a 
reply  (as  it  seems) there  was  no  more  heard  of  that  their  claim." 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  TION.    347 

"  Columbu8  has  given  a  new  world  to  the  kingdom 
of  Castile  and  Leon."  But,  alas  for  human  pride,  the 
fame  of  Columbus  has  arisen  higher  and  higher  year 
by  year  in  the  admiration  of  men,  while  the  empire 
of  Spain  has  passed  from  the  continent  of  America, 
and  a  weak  and  decaying  dynasty  fills  the  throne  of 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  When  Sir  Ferdiuando 
Gorges  closed  his  life,  in  1647,  his  countrymen  should 
have  placed  over  his  grave  these  words :  "  Gorges 
saved  North  America  to  England."  Instead  of  this 
a  cloud  of  obloquy  rested  on  his  name  in  both  coun- 
tries ;  at  home  because  he  supported  the  monarchy, 
and  in  New  Enojland  because  he  had  not  done 
homage  to  the  Puritan  theoci-acy.  And  to  this 
hour  the  meed  of  praise  has  been  selfishly  withheld. 
When  George  Popham,  the  ablt;  and  accomplished 
governor  of  the  colony  at  Sagadahoc,  knew  that 
the  hour  of  his  departure  had  come,  he  was  consoled 
in  the  thought  that  his  name  would  be  imperishably 
connected  with  the  history  of  New  England,  for  he 
was  thej^;'6-^  of  his  race  whose  bones  should  be  laid 
on  American  soil.  Like  Wolfe,  he  said :  "  I  die 
content,  for  my  name  will  always  be  associated  with 
the  first  planting  of  the  English  I'ace  in  the  New 
World ;  my  remains  will  not  be  neglected  away 
from  the  home  of  my  fathers  and  my  kindred." 
And  yet  to  this  hour,  two  hundred  and  fifty-two 
yeai'S  from  the  time  that  Popham  died,  the  place  of 
his  burial  is  unknown.' 

'  While  these  pages  are  going  through  the  press,  measures  are  in  prog- 
ress to  commemorate  the  first  settlement  of  New  England,  and  to  preserve 
the  memory  of  the  man  who  led  hither  the  first  English  colony. 

Congress  has  made  an  appropriation  for  a  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kenne- 
bec— the  ancient  Sagadahoc, — which  is  to  be  called  Fort  Popham. 


m 

:.'u 


■J 


A 


348        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 


Mr.  Webster  said,  "  the  record  of  illustrious  action 
is  safely  deposited,  in  the  universal  remembrance  of 
mankind,"  and  while  we  admit  the  truth  of  this 
maxim,  we  cannot  forget  that  the  record  is  rarely 
exhibited  till  the  generations  that  knew  their  actors 
had  passed  away.  Homer's  words  were  not  listened 
to  in  his  lifetime,  nor  till  his  history  and  even  his 
birthplace  were  forgotten.  He  still  lives,  not  in 
history,  but  in  his  own  immortal  writings.  The 
greatest  names  of  England,  Milton  and  Cromwell, 
were  a  by-AVord  and  a  reproach  for  years  after 
their  death.  So  it  has  been  with  the  Father  of 
English  toloni:':.tion  in  ^^  merica.  Loadt  1  with  re- 
proach by  all  the  Pilgrim  and  Puritan  w  ters  of  his 
time.  Lis  only  crime  was  that  he  never  countenanced 
persecution.  The  narrow  and  illiterate  Bradford, 
the  arrogant  and  bigoted  Winthrop,  the  leading  co- 
temporar}^  writers  of  the  times  of  Gorges,  were  incap- 
able of  doing  justice  to  his  motives  or  his  conduct. 
Within  the  last  forty  years,  the  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  the  English  race  in  America,  and  the 
importance  of  the  United  States  in  the  community 
of  nations,  have  stimulated  inquiry  into  its  early  his- 
tory. The  earliest  settlement  of  the  country,  and  the 
influences  by  which  it  was  achieved,  have  become 
matters  of  the  deepest  interest.  Events  which  we 
supposed  to  be  of  the  least  apparent  moment,  at  the 
time,  have  influenced  the  direction  of  human  affairs 
and  permanently  affected  the  history  of  the  race. 

Two  hundred  and  fifty-six  years  ago,  the  first 
European  settlement  north  of  Florida  was  made  at 
St.  Croix,  in  our  state,  by  the  French  with  every 


m 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  TTON.    349 

assurance  of  permanently  holding  the  continent. 
In  that  same  year,  1605,  George  Weymouth  returned 
to  England,  after  having  explored  the  coast  of 
Maine  and  of  New  England,  not  made  known  be- 
fore, by  the  voyages  of  Gosnold  and  Pring.  The 
leading  minds  of  England  selected  their  place  of 
settlement,  looking  simply  at  the  natural  advan- 
tages of  the  country.  From  Mount  Desert  to  Cape 
Elizabeth  was  the  fairest  land,  and  the  most  in- 
viting sea-coast,  that  had  tempted  an  Atlantic  voy- 
age. There,  they  made  their  first  effort  to  plant  a 
colony,  as  the  mears  of  enlarging  the  dominion  of 
their  nation.  The  seat  of  empire  accidentally  passed 
farther  west,  for  a  time,  to  avoid  the  dangers  of  In- 
dian and  French  hostility,  and  in  the  struggle  for 
control  of  the  continent  between  England  and  her 
colonies,  a  large  portion  of  Maine  was  the  subject 
of  controversy.  Her  position  became  a  subordinate 
one  in  the  time  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  not  till  our 
day  has  she  been  able  to  vindicate  her  just  i30sition. 
But  we  already  see  the  initiatoiy  steps  that  shall 
realize  the  idea  on  which  the  thrice-honored  and 
renowned  Warwick,  and  the  sagacious  Gorges,  set 
on  foot  this  Empire  of  the  AVest ; — and  that  chosen 
spot  they  selected  become  the  seat  of  its  power. 
Within  the  last  sixteen  years  we  have  witnessed  the 
great  minds  of  England  uniting  with  those  of  our 
own  land,  in  cementing  anew  the  ties  of  lineage 
which  the  folly  of  an  unwise  ruler  less  than  a  cen- 
tury ago  had  severed.  Already  the  iron  arm  of  tho 
railway  has  joined  States  and  Provinces  into  one 
community   of  interests,  and   the   iron   locomotiv<. 


iff, 


■|.t| 

m 


350        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


departs  from  Casco  Bay  on  an  unbroken  line  of 
iron  to  the  distant  waters  of  Michigan  and  Huron, 
yet  to  be  extended  to  the  far-distant  shores  of  the 
Pacific.  A  giant  work,  greater  than  the  Pyramids, 
now  spans  the  waters  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  while  the 
ocean  has  been  bridged  by  such  lines  of  steamers 
that  have  practically  annihilated  space  and  time  in 
the  operations  of  business.  It  was  the  belief  of 
those  who  first  planted  our  state  that  it  would  be 
the  fairest  portion  of  America,  and  that  the  deep 
waters  of  our  bays  should  float  the  richest  treasures 
of  an  expanding  commerce.  The  realization  of  these 
visions  is  not  far  distant  from  our  day ;  and  if 
the  sons  of  Maine  are  true  to  themselves  and  to 
their  state,  the  dawn  of  that  day  may  be  speedily 
ushered  in. 

As  it  was  the  foresight  of  Gorges  that  planted  the 
Saxo-Norman  race  in  America,  so  it  was  the  wisdom 
of  Cromwell  that  saw  in  them  the  great  strength  of 
the  nation.  Both  these  great  men  have  in  their  own 
time  suffered  from  the  persecutions  of  their  enemies, 
so  that  a  future  age  only  could  do  justice  to  their 
memories.  Gorges,  a  devoted  royalist,  a  persistent 
friend  of  the  Stuart  dynasty,  has  been  as  obnoxious 
to  Puritan  prejudice  as  were  Cromwell  and  the  Inde- 
pendents to  that  of  the  restored  monarchy  and  its 
followers.  But  Gorges'  fame  shall  yet  eclipse  that 
of  any  other  name  in  our  American  annals.  My 
native  state  has  been  remiss  in  the  discharge  of  this 
duty ;  and  supinely  allowed  the  history  of  New  Eng- 
land to  cluster  around  the  Rock  of  Plymouth,  instead 
of  standing  clearly  out  in  the  earlier  deeds  of  the 


I 


THE  FA  THER  OF  ENGLISH  COLONIZA  TION.    351 

great  minds  that  saved  New  England  and  the  con- 
tinent from  the  grasp  of  the  French.  The  high 
position  and  character  of  Gorges  are  vouched  by 
his  intimacy  with  the  Chief-Justice  of  England, 
and  the  chief  noblemen  of  the  realm,  whose  con- 
fidence he  enjoyed  to  the  close  of  his  long  and 
illustrious  life;  and  his  entire  freedom  from  intoler- 
ance is  shown  in  every  act.  His  ambition  was  to 
people  these  realms  with  the  best  countiymen  of  Eng- 
land, though  he  foresaw  their  early  independence 
of  the  crown  ;  and  though  a  zealous  Episcopalian, 
he  gave  equal  encouragement  to  Puritan  and  Church- 
men. If  the  greatness  of  an  individual  is  to  be  meas- 
ured by  his  influence  on  human  affairs,  the  name 
of  Gorges  should  be  ranked  with  those  of  Cromwell 
and  of  Peter  the  Great  of  Russia,  the  men  who  have 
exerted  most  influence  in  shaping  the  history  of 
modern  times.  The  English,  or  Saxo-Norraan,  race, 
less  than  5,000,000  in  1620,  to-day  is  supreme  on 
the  ocean,  and  holds  one  sixth  of  the  habitable  globe. 
It  governs  one  fourth  part  of  the  human  race,  four 
times  in  number  the  population  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire when  its  eagles  overshadowed  the  world. 

The  strength  of  a  nation,  like  that  of  an  individual, 
is  its  history ;  and  while  we  recount  with  pnde  the 
deeds  of  the  great  men  who  have  j^receded  us,  we 
should  reflect  on  the  value  to  us  of  that  larger 
theatre  on  which  we  are  called  to  act ;  nor  forget  him 
whose  genius  and  fidelity  planted  the  English  race 
in  America.  While  the  Saxo-Norman  race  learns 
more  and  more,  and  day  by  day  to  sympathize  witli 
whatever  is  good  and  true  in  old  England,  we  find  iu 


''|5 
•■I 


t 


\\ 


35 a       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


England's  great  men  a  corresponding  sympathy  with 
whatever  is  worthy  of  respect  in  the  New  England 
of  our  day;  so  well  expressed  by  Mr.  D'Israeli,  in  a 
speech  at  Aylesbury,  in  the  last  parliamentary  elec- 
tion: "Whatever  may  be  the  fate  of  the  England 
of  the  Old  World,"  said  D'Israeli,  "all  that  she  has 
accomplished  for  good,  in  art,  science,  or  political 
economy,  and  all  that  is  glorious  in  her  history,  her 
literature,  or  her  institutions,  is  destined  to  still 
higher  development  in  the  hands  of  that  race  she 
has  planted,  springing  from  our  loins,  and  enjoying 
a  common  ancestry  with  us,  on  the  distant  shores  of 
New  England  and  Australia." 


;■     ! 


THE  FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENG- 
LAND. 

ADDRESS    DELIVERED   AT    FORT   POPIIAM,    MAINE,    1862. 

We  commemorate  to-day  the  great  event  in  Amer- 
ican bistoiy.  We  are  assembled  on  the  spot  that 
witnessed  the  first  formal  act  of  possession  of  New 
England,  by  a  British  colony,  under  the  authority  of 
a  royal  charter.  We  have  come  here,  on  the  two 
hundred  and  fifty-fifth  anniversary  of  that  event,  to 
rejoice  in  the  manifold  blessings  that  have  flowed  to 
us  from  that  act, — to  place  on  record  a  testimonial 
of  our  appreciation  of  the  value  of  that  day's  work, 
— and  to  transmit  to  future  generations  an  expres- 
sion of  our  reijard  for  the  illustrious  men  who  laid 
the  foundation  of  England's  title  to  the  continent, 
and  gave  a  new  direction  to  the  history  of  the  world. 

We  meet  under  circumstances  of  deep  and  peculiar 
interest.  The  waters  of  the  same  broad  Sagadahoc 
move  onward  in  their  majestic  course  to  the  ocean  ; 
the  green  summit  of  the  beautiful  Seguin  still  lifts 
itself  in  the  distance,  standing  sentinel  and  break- 
water to  beat  back  the  swelling  surges  of  the  sea ; 
the  flashing  foam  of  the  Atlantic  still  washes  the 
rocky  shores  of  the  peninsula  of  Sabino,  and  the 
secure  anchorage  of  this  open  bay  receives  the  tem- 

I«  353 


m 


354       ^^^'^ T  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  \VA  Y. 


poRt-toHt  bark,  as  on  the  flay  that  the  Oifl  of  God, 
the  gallant  fly-lxmt  of  George  Pophani,  hel]M'(l  into 
port  Raleigh  Gilbert's  good  ship  Mary  and  John, 
freighted  with  the  hopes  of  a  new  empire.  Behind 
ns  rises  the  green  summit  of  yonder  mount,  around 
who've  sides  soon  clustered  the  habitations  of  the  in- 
trepid Popham  and  his  devoted  companions ;  and 
the  same  rocky  rampart  that  then  encircled  this 
proud  bay  stands  unmoved  amid  the  changes  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty-five  years.  All  else  is  changed. 
The  white  sails  of  many  a  gallant  ship  now  cover 
this  broad  expanse  of  water ;  a  towering  light-house 
rises  high  above  the  summit  of  Seguin,  throwing  the 
rays  of  its  Fresnel  lens  far  out  into  the  darkness,  and 
along  these  rocky  shores ;  habitations  of  men  dot 
every  point  of  the  surrounding  landscape ;  while  the 
stout  steamer,  unlike  the  ship  of  olden  time,  gladly 
encounters  the  rude  waves  of  the  ocean. 


"  Against  the  wind,  and  against  the  tide, 
Still  steady,  with  an  upright  keel." 

But  the  heart  of  man  has  changed  less  than  all,  in 
these  two  hundred  and  fifty-five  years.  It  still  bows 
in  submission  to  Almighty  God,  and  lifts  its  voice  in 
prayer  and  praise  ;  as  when,  in  the  solemn  service  of 
his  ritual,  their  pious  preacher  uttered  these  memor- 
able words : 

"  At  what  time  soever  a  sinner  doth  repent  him 
of  his  sins  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart,  I  will  blot 
all  his  wickedness  out  of  my  remembrance,  saith  the 
Lord." 

"  I  will  go  to  my  Father,  and  say  to  him.  Father, 


FIJiST  COLONIZATION  Of  NEW  ENGLAND.    355 

I  luive  Hi  lined  against  lieaven  and  against  thee :  I  am 
no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son."  ' 

All  this  was  permanent  and  enduring.  The  same 
duty  and  the  same  dependence  upon  God,  as  tlit^n, 
are  upon  us  all.  We  seem  to  see  before  us  the  faith- 
ful Richard  Seymour,  clad  in  the  habiliments  of  the 
priesthood,  as  we  hear  the  same  accents  of  prayer 
and  piaise  that  he  uttered, — when,  before  him  knelt 
the  faithful  Popham  and  his  hardy  comrades,  whose 
deep  responses  were  borne  upward  to  the  mercy-seat. 
We  listen  to-day  to  the  same  strains  of  music  and  to 
the  same  lessons  that  first  burst  forth  from  human 
lips  on  the  shores  of  this  great  continent !  That 
same  sense  of  sinfulness  that  then  found  utterance  in 
the  language  of  the  liturgy,  finds  expression  in  our 
hearts  to-day  ;  and  may  it  please  the  Father  of  mer- 
cies so  to  mould  all  hearts,  that  these  words  of  peni- 
tential confession  shall  find  willing  utterance  from 
all  lips,  and  these  words  of  prayer  and  praise, 
raised  in  devout  aspiration  from  all  hearts,  ])e  con- 
tinued from  generation  to  generation  through  all 
time,  till  there  shall  be  one  fold  and  one  Shepherd, 
and  this  mortal  reach  immortality  at  the  final  con- 
summation of  all  things. 

The  greatness  of  an  event  is  to  be  measured  l)y 
the  influence  it  exerts  over  the  destinies  of  mankind. 
Acts  of  sublime  moral  grandeur,  essential  to  the 
education  of  the  race,  may  surpass  in  real  magnitude 
the  most  brilliant  achievements  of  material  success ; 
and  the  silent  eloquence  of  truth  do  more  to  conquer 
the  fierce  spirit  of  war,  than  the  most  imposing  tri* 

'  King  James'  Liturgy  of  1604. 


'"^^  \ 

4 

■I  ■ 

"'i  ' 

'« 

A 

1: 

"* 

356        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 


umphs  of  warlike  ambition.  The  ignominious  exe- 
cution of  the  teacher  of  our  religion,  in  a  remote  and 
obscure  province  of  the  Roman  Empire,  was  an  event 
of  so  little  interest  at  the  time,  as  to  be  overlooked 
by  the  great  writers  of  Roman  history.  The  rise  of 
the  Christian  sect  in  Judea  was  noticed  by  the 
younger  Pliny  in  his  letter  to  the  Emperor  Trajan 
within  the  next  hundred  years;  but  no  human  vi- 
sion could  then  have  foreseen  that  their  despised  doc- 
trines would,  within  the  next  few  hundred  years, 
have  become  enthroned  in  the  home  of  the  Caesars, 
and  give  law  to  the  civilized  world. 

When  Hannibal  led  his  disciplined  troops  from 
the  shoies  of  Africa,  through  the  perilous  passes  of 
the  Pyrenees  and  across  the  Alps,  into  Italy,  and 
slew  more  in  number  of  the  Roman  youth  than  the 
entire  force  of  his  army,  we  instinctively  honor  this 
sublime  exhibition  of  martial  genius  and  energy. 
When  at  last  he  failed  to  conquer  Rome,  only  from 
the  lack  of  succor  from  his  own  countrymen;  whose 
jealousy  of  his  success  destroyed  their  country,  we 
respect  that  indignant  sense  of  justice  that  bequeathed 
his  bones  to  a  foreign  resting-place,  iest  his  unworthy 
countrymen  should  in  after  times  '  e  honored  by  the 
homage  done  to  his  remains.  We  weep  at  every 
fresh  recital  of  the  splendor  of  his  achievements,  and 
the  magnitude  of  his  misfortunes  (however  much  we 
may  value  the  superior  civilization  of  the  Roman 
people  over  that  of  the  Carthaginians),  as  we  reflect 
that  the  history  of  future  times  hung  suspended  on 
the  issue  of  that  campaign.  We  are  willing  to  re- 
joice that  at  last  his  ungrateful  nation  was  blotted 


■i 


!i:l1 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    357 

from  the  earth,  and  Carthage  liveR  only  as  a  dishonor 
to  history,  while  his  name  stands  foremost  among 
warriors  and  heroes.  When  the  brave  and  accom- 
plished Champlain  returned  to  France  after  an 
absence  of  three  and  a  half  yeai-s  in  Acadia,'  having 
explored  all  these  shores,  and  given  them  the  names 
they  now  bear,  and  placed  the  symbols  of  the 
authority  of  his  sovereign,  from  Cape  Breton  to 
Cape  Cod,  confidently  anticipating  the  future  great- 
ness of  his  race  and  nation  in  this,  their  secure 
home  in  the  finest  portion  of  the  New  World,  he 
found  that  the  charter  granted  to  De  Monts, 
under  which  he  held  and  occupied  the  countiy, 
had  been  revoked,^  and  that  the  most  hopeful 
plan  of  empire  ever  revealed  to  human  eyes  had 
been  marred,  if  not  destroyed.  With  generous  valor 
he  sought  a  new  hor^ie  amid  the  snows  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  and  in  1608  planted  the  flag  and  tlie 
power  of  France  upon  the  shores  of  that  mighty 
river,  where  his  bones  now  lie,  in  the  midst  of  the 
race  he  there  planted.  But  the  folly  of  the  great 
King  Henry  of  Navarre  could  not  be  overcome  by 
any  heroism  on  his  part ;  for  the  stronger  foothold  of 
Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  had  meanwhile  been  planted 
v,n  the  shores  of  this  open  sea,  from  Sagadahoc  to 
Plymouth ;  and  the  flag  of  France  was  compelled  to 
withdraw  across  the  Sagadahoc,  never  more  to  re- 


•  Champlain,  with  De  Monts  and  his  associates,  sailed  from  St.  Malo 
March  17,  1604,  in  two  ships.  They  returned  to  St,  Malo  Sepicmher 
28,  1607.  See  Poor's  "  Vindication  of  Gorges,"  and  the  authorities  there 
cited. 

*"  "  Champlain's  Voyages,"  pp.  44,  45,  99  ed.  1632.  L'Escarbot,  p.  619, 
2d  edition,  1612. 


358        FIJ^S T  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 


IP 

Hi: ,' 


turn  thither  after  1607,  and  finally  to  y  j;i  the  dust 
before  that  cross  of  St.  Georsxe,  whi(  .  fi.st  floated 
from  the  rocky  ramparts  of  Quebec  on  Septenil>er 
li5^1759,'  when  the  power  of  Frjinee  was  swept  from 
the  continent  forever.  But  all  hearts  instinctively 
honor  the  immortal  Charaplain.  The  sympathy  of 
all  generous  minds  ever  flows  forth  at  the  utterance 
of  his  name.  His  monument  still  exists,  in  sight  of 
an  admiring  postei'ity,  more  enduring  than  this  stone 
we  have  this  day  raised  iu  honor  of  another ;  and  it 
sliall  forever  lemain  in  "erpetual  beauty,  while  the 
waters  from  the  loftv  summits  of  the  Adirondack, 
mingling  with  those  of  the  Green  Mountains,  shall 
fill  the  deep  recesses  of  the  lake  that  bears  the  hon- 
oied  name,  Cliamjylain  ! 

Our  duty  to-day  calls  us  to  honor  another,  and  a 
gr-^ater  than  '-ham])lain  ;  not  greater  in  pin'pose,  but 
in  the  results  he  achieved  for  humanity  and  Lis  race, 
and  more  entitled  to  our  sympathy  from  the  blessings 
Tve  owe  to  his  labors, — the  man  that  gave  North 
America  to  his  nation;  and  died  without  even  the 
poor  reward  that  followed  his  great  rival.  That 
colossal  empire  which  Champlain  planted  on  the 
St.  Lawrence,  and  watched  over  till  the  close  of 
his  life,''  which  eventually  held  four  fifths  of  the 
continent,  was  unable  to  regain  its  possession  on  these 
Atlantic  shores  :  and  from  this  cause  alone,  it  finally 
fell  beneath  the  power  and  sagacity  of  England's 

'  The  battle  was  fought  September  13,  1759  ;  the  surrender  of  Quebec  was 
agreed  on  in  the  evening  of  the  seventeenth,  and  the  English  flag  raised  on 
the  morning  of  the  eighteenth. 

'  Champlain  died  in  the  diseharge  of  the  duties  of  the  office  of  Governor- 
General  of  Canada,  at  Quebec,  December  25,  1635. 


■'ffl 


HI 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    359 

greatest  war  minister,  Pitt ;  who  gave  to  the  heroic 
Wolfe,  in  his  youthful  prime,  the  noblest  oj^portunity 
for  fame  that  has  yet  fallen  to  a  leader  of  armies. 
But  the  hero  who  gave  the  continent  to  England 
was  neither  Pitt  nor  Wolfe,  but  another  and  greater 
than  either,  the  illusti'ious  and  sagacious  Knight, 
whose  manly  daring  and  persevering  energy  upheld 
the  drooping  cause  of  colonization  in  its  darkest 
hours  against  individual  Jealousy  and  parliamentary 
injustice  ;  and  saw,  like  Isi'ael's  great  law-giver,  from 
the  top  of  the  mountain,  the  goodly  land  that  his 
countrymen  should  afterwards  possess,  though  he 
was  not  allowed  to  enter  it.^  All  honor,  this  day, 
to  SL-  Ferdinando  Gorges.  His  praise  is  proclaimed 
by  Puritan  voices,  after  more  than  two  hundred  years 
of  unjust  reproach.  His  monument  stands  proudly 
er:  ct  among  the  nations,  in  that  constitutional  gov- 
einment  of  these  United  States  which  sheds  blessings 
on  tho  world.''  His  name,  once  perpetuated  in  our 
annals,  was  stricken  from  the  records  of  the  state, 
and  no  city,  or  town,  or  lake,  or  i-iver,  allowed  to  bear 
it  to  future  times.  But  a  returning  sense  of  justice 
marks  the  American  character,  and  two  hundred 
y  iars  after  his  death  it  is  heard  once  more  in  honor- 
able renown.  Busy  hands,  guided  by  consunnnate 
skill,  are  now  shaping  into  beauty  and  order  a  work 
of  endurinc:  8tren«:th  and  national  defence,  that  does 
honor  to  his  name  ;  and  rising  iu  sight  of  our  chief 
commercial  city,   more  beautiful  in   situation  than 

'  See  Poor's  "  Vindication  of  ("lorges." 

"  Cjorges  foresaw  and  predicted  the  independence  of  the  colonies  of  North 
America,  of  the  British  crown.  "  Briefe  Narration,"  p.  51  ;  vol.  ii.,  "  iMaiiie 
Hist.  Coll."  ;  also  Poor's  "  Vindication." 


"if 


I 


%'i 


J,  I 

Hi 


36o       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


any  that  graces  the  yEgean  coast,  or  smiles  from  the 
Adriatic  shore, — the  metropolis,  too,  of  his  ancient 
"  Province  of  Mayne," — proclaims  Sir  Ferdinando 
Gorges,  Fatlier  of  English  Colonization  in  America.^ 
And  in  after  times,  when  hid  race  shall  become,  not 
only  masters  of  the  continent,  but  of  the  earth,  and 
his  mother-tongue  the  univei'sal  language,  Histoiy 
shall  perpetuate  the  deeds  of  his  genius,  and  Song 
shall  make  his  name  immortal. 


The  question  that  the  European  nations  were 
called  upon  to  solve,  at  the  commencement  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  was,  who  should  liereafter  oc- 
cupy and  possess  the  broad  belt  of  the  temperate 
zone  of  the  New  World,  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific  seas.  All  previous  explorations  were  pre- 
liminary efforts  towards  this  one  great  object,  but 
the  question  remained  open  and  undecided.  The 
voyages  of  the  Northmen  to  these  shores,  interesting 
to  the  curious,  are  of  no  historic  value,  because  not 
connected  with  the  colonization  of  the  country — un- 
less it  shall  hereafter  appear  that  Columbus  obtained 
from  them  information  as  to  the  extent  of  the  Wes- 
tern Ocean.  At  the  time  of  discoveiy  by  Columbus, 
the  only  races  inhabiting  the  New  World,  north  of 
Mexico,  were  tribes  of  wandering  savages,  incapable 
of  accepting  or  acquiring  habits  of  civilized  life. 
An  extinct  race  had  left  their  mounds  in  the  West, 
and  their  deposits  of  oyster-beds  along  the  shores  of 

'  Fort  Gorges. — The  new  fort  in  Portland  Harbor,  has  been  nametl  iiy 
the  Secretary  of  War,  Fort  Gorges,  in  honor  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges, 
"  the  original  proprietor  of  the  Province  of  Mayne  and  the  Father  of  English 
Colonization  in  America." 


If! 


FIJiST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    361 


the  Atlantic,  and  passed  from  traditionary  story. 
The  adventurous  Magellan  in  1520  proved,  by  the 
first  voyage  round  tlie  world,  tlie  extent  of  the  new 
continent;  and  in  1579,  Sir  Francis  Drake,  the  first 
Englishman  that  circumnavigated  the  globe,  in  that 
daring  voyage  which  excited  the  admiration  of  his 
countrymen,  gave  the  name  of  New  England  to  the 
Pacific  shores  of  the  continent;  which  name  Captain 
John  Smith  afterwards,  to  strengthen  the  title  to  the 
countiy,  affixed  to  the  Atlantic  slope.'  But  till  the 
beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century.  North  Amer- 
ica, north  of  Florida,  remained  unpeopled  by  Euro- 
peans. The  Spaniards,  the  Portuguese,  the  French, 
the  Dutch,  and  the  English  had  all  made  voyages 
of  discovery,  and  laid  claims  to  tlie  country.  As 
early  as  1542,  it  was  parcelled  off  to  the  three  powers 
first  named :  Florida,  belonging  to  Spain,  extending 
as  far  north  as  the  thirty-tliirJ  parallel  of  latitude ; 
Verrazzan,  or  New  France,  from  the  thii'ty-third  to 
the  fiftieth  paralhd;  and  Terra  Corterealis,  north- 
ward to  the  Polar  Ocean,  thus  named  in  honor  of 
Gaspar  Cortereal,  a  Portuguese,  who  explored  the 
coast  in  the  year  1500.  The  Spaniards  were  in  pur- 
suit of  mines  of  gold  and  silver,  the  Portuguese  in 
quest  of  slaves,  and  the  French  with  hopes  of  profit 
in  the  fur  trade,  and  crude  but  indefinite  ideas  of 
colonization. 

Spain  and  Portugal  originally  claimed  the  New 
World  by  grant  from  the  Pope.'     England,  practi- 

'  John  Smith's  "  Description  of  New  England,"   vol.   ii.,    p.  2.  Force's 
Tracts.     "  Mass.  Historical  Coll.,"  3d  series,  vol.  vi.,  p.  104. 
'  Bull  of  Pope  Alexander  VI.,  1493. 


362 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


cally  abandoning  all  claim  from  the  discoveries  of 
Cabot  on  the  Atlantic,  and  Drake  on  the  Pacific 
coasts,  laid  down,  in  1580,  the  broad  doctrine,  that 
prescription  without  occupation  was  of  no  avail; 
that  possession  of  the  country  was  essential  to  the 
maintenance  of  title.  Prescriptio  sine  possessione 
hand  valeaV 

Before  this  time  the  attention  of  England  had  been 
turned  to  the  northern  parts  of  America,  witli  a 
view  to  coh)nization.  As  early  as  March  22,  1574, 
the  queen  had  been  petitioned  to  allow  of  the 
discovery  of  lands  in  America  '''■fatally  reserved  to 
England.,  and  for  the  honor  of  Her  Majesty y  ^  Sir 
Humphrey  Gilbert's  charter  "  for  planting  our  people 
in  America,"  was  granted  by  Elizabeth,  June  11, 
1578;  and  in  1580  John  Walker  and  his  companions 
had  discovered  a  silver  mine  in  Norumbega.  The 
explorations  of  Andrew  Thevett,  of  John  Barros, 
and  John  Walker,  alluded  to  in  the  papers  recently 
discovered  in  the  British  State-Paper  Office,  under 
date  of  1580,  w^e  find  nowhere  else  recorded.  The 
possession  of  Newfoundland  by  Sir  Humphrey  Gil- 
bert was  abandoned,  on  his  loss  at  sea,  and  it  was  not 
till  1584  that  the  first  charter  to  Sir  Walter  Raleigh 
was  issued,  by  Elizabeth.  Raleigh  named  the 
countiy  Virginia,  in  honor  of  his  queen.  Of  the 
two  colonies  sent  out  by  him,  one  returned,  the  other 
perished  in  the  country,  lea^'i':g  no  trace  of  its  history 
and  no  record  of  its  melancholy  fate.  Thus,  at  the 
period  of  Elizabeth's  death,  in  1603,  England  had  not 


'  Camden's  "  Eliz.  Annales,"  1580.    See  Poor's  "Vindication  of  Gorges." 
*  "Calendar  of  Colonial  State  Papers,"  edited  by  Sainsbury,  vol.  i.,  p.  i. 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    363 

a  colonial  possession  on  the  globe.  Sir  Richard 
Whitbourue  had  made  voyages  to  Newfoundland 
in  his  own  ship  in  1588/  and  in  1600  there  was  a 
proposition  to  the  queen  for  planting  a  colony  in 
the  NoHhivest  of  America,  in  which  can  be  unmis- 
takably traced  the  agency  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges ; 
who  it  now  appears  was  also  concerned  in  the 
voyage  of  Gosnold  in  1602,  of  Pring  in  1603,  and  of 
George  Weymouth  in  1605,  the  earliest  ones  of 
which  we  have  any  authentic  record.'  That  eloquent 
passage  in  Gorges'  "  Briefe  Narration,"  in  which  he 
gives  "  the  i-easons  and  the  means  of  renewing  the 
undertaking  of  Plantations  in  America,"  deserves 
our  highest  pi'aise ;  and  it  excites  feelings  of  the 
warmest  gratitude  toward  him,  for  it  is  a  modest  and 
touchino;  statement  of  his  own  heroic  efforts  in  the 
cause  of  Auiencan  colonization.^ 

But  the  Hollanders  and  the  French  were  equally 
aroused  to  the  importance,  and  inflamed  with  the 
purpose,  of  seizing  upon  these  shores.  The  vast 
wealth  of  the  Dutch,  their  great  commercial  success 
prior  to  this  time  in  both  the  East  and  West  Indies, 
gave  them  the  adx^antage.  Ohamplain,  with  greater 
knowledge  of  North  America  than  any  of  his  rivals, 
had  accompanied  Pont  Grave  to  the  St.  Lawrence,  by 
direction  of  the  king,  in  1603  :  when,  on  his  return 
to  France,  he  found  Acadia  granted  to  I)e  JMonts, 
a  Protestant  and  a  member  of  the  king'p  hours^ehold, 
under  date  of  November  8,  1603,  extendiu^j  across 


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'  "Calendar  of  Col.  State  Papers,"  »ol.  i.,  p.  82 

'  See  ( lorges'  letter  to  Challoiis.     Prior's  "  Vindicat-  m." 

'Gorges'  "  Briefe  Narration,"  p.  i-O. 


364        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IV A  V. 


'm 


the  continent,  between  the  fortieth  and  forty-sixth 
degrees  of  north  latitude.' 

In  the  spring  of  lo04,  De  Monts,  accompanied 
by  Charaplain,  Pont  Grave,  Poutrincourt,  and  the 
learned  and  accomplished  historian  L'Escarbot,  sailed 
from  Dieppe  for  the  occupation  of  the  New  World. 
They  planted  their  colony  at  St.  Croix,  within  the 
limits  of  our  own  State,  in  1604,^  and  in  the  spring 
and  summer  of  1605,  explored  the  coast  under  the 
lead  of  Champlain,  from  Cami:)seau  to  Cape  Malabar, 
twelve  miles  south  of  Cape  Cod,  "  searching  to  the 
end  of  the  bays,"  the  same  year  that  Weymouth  ex- 
plored this  most  excellent  and  beneficial  river  at 
Sagadahoc.  To  make  sure  of  the  country,  Cham- 
plain,  Champdore,  and  L'Escarbot  remained  three 
and  a  half  years,  fishing,  trading  with  the  natives, 
and  occupying  at  Boston,  Piscadouet  (Piscatajjua), 
Marchin  (Portland),  Koskebee  (Casco  Bay),  Kinni- 
bequi  (Kennebec),  Pentagoet  (Penobscot),  and  all 
east,  to  Campseau  and  Cape  Breton.  Returning  to 
France  in  1607,  they  found  the  charter  of  De  Monts 
revoked,^  on  account  of  the  jealousy  of  his  rivals,  and 
a  small  indemnity  fi'om  the  king  as  their  only  reward 
for  these  four  years  of  sacrifice  and  unremitting  toil. 
This  shortsightedness  of  the  great  Henry  of  Navarre 
cost  France  the  dominion  of  the  New  World.  For 
on  the  return  of  Weymouth  to  Plymouth,  in  1605, 
with  five  savages  from  Pemaquid,  Sir  Ferdinando 
Gorges  gathered  from  them  full  particulars  of  this 


'  L'Escarbot,  p.  432,  2d  edition,  i6t2, 
'  See  Poor's  "  Vindication  of  Gorges." 
*  L'Escarbot,  p.  460,  2d  edition,  1612 ;  Champlain,  pp.  4.1,  45,  gg. 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    365 

whole  region,  its  harbors,  rivers,  natural  character- 
istics and  featiires,  its  people  and  mode  of  govern- 
ment.' 

Associating  himself  with  the  Earl  of  Southamp- 
ton, Gorges,  relying  upon  these  circumstances  as  a 
means  of  inflaming  the  imagination  of  his  countiy- 
men,  petitioned  the  king  for  a  charter,'  which  he 
obtained,  under  date  of  April  10,  1606;  gi'anting  to 
George  Popham,  and  seven  others,  the  continent  of 
North  America,  from  the  thirty-fourth  to  the  forty- 
fifth  degrees  of  north  latitude,  extending  one  hundred 
miles  into  the  mainland,  and  including  all  islands  of 
the  sea  within  one  hundred  miles  of  the  shore.  This 
charter  is  tlie  basis  on  which  rests  the  title  of  our 
race  to  the  New  World.  It  provided  for  a  local 
government  at  home,  intrusted  to  a  Council  of 
Thirteen  ;  with  two  companies,  one  of  North,  and  the 
other  of  South  Virginia,  for  carrying  into  execution 
the  plans  of  colonization  in  the  country.^  The  ven- 
erable Sir  John  Popham,*  Chief-Justice  of  England 
by  the  appointment  of  Elizabeth,  a  man  of  vast 
wealth  and  influence,  became  the  patron  of  the  com- 
pany ;  and  his  son.  Sir  Francis  Popham,  was  appointed 
by  the  king,  with  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  one  of  the 
Council  of  Thirteen,  under  whom,  as  the  Council  of 
Virginia,  the  work  of  colonization  was  to  be  carried 

'  Gorges'  "  Briefe  Narration"  ;  "  Maine  Historical  Collections,"  vol.  ii., 
p.  19. 

'  Strachey's  "  Travaile  into  Virginia,"  p.  161. 

3  The  Council  of  Virginia,  appointed  by  King  James,  November  20,  1606, 
consisted  of  fourteen  persons  instead  of  thirteen. 

*  The  fact  of  his  appointment  as  Chief-Justice  by  Elizabeth,  in  the  later 
years  of  her  life,  proves  him  to  have  been  a  great  lawyer.  Elizabeth  ap- 
pointed the  ablest  n^en  she  could  find  to  public  office. 


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366       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

forward.  From  tlie  great  fame  of  Chief-Justice 
Popliara,  and  his  interest  in  the  matter,  the  coh)ny 
sent  by  the  North  Virginia  Company  was  popuhirly 
known  as  Popham's  Colony,  though  his  name  was 
not  in  the  charter,  or  included  among  the  council. 
"  The  planting  of  New  England  in  the  North,  was 
by  Chief -Justice  Popham,"  said  the  Scotch  adven- 
turers, in  their  address  to  the  king,  September  9, 
1630,  recently  brought  to  our  notice  from  the  British 
State-Paper  Office.'  In  a  work  entitled  "  Encourage- 
ment to  Colonies,"  by  William  Alexander,  Knight, 
in  1625,  he  says:  "Sir  John  Popham  sent  the  lii-st 
colony  that  went,  of  purpose  to  inhabit  there  near  to 
Sagadahoc."'  But  until  the  comparatively  recent 
publication  of  Strachey,  the  history  of  this  colony 
was  almost  unknown.  Two  unsuccessful  attempts 
at  planting  a  colony  were  made  in  1606.^ 

On  May  31, 1607,  the  first  colony  to  New  England 
sailed  from  Plymouth  for  the  Sagadahoc,  in  two 
ships — one  called  the  Gift  of  God,  whereof  George 
Popham,  brother  of  the  Chief- Justice,'^  was  com- 
mander, and  the  other,  the  Mary  and  Jolm,  com- 
manded by  Raleigh  Gilbert — on  board  which  ships 
were  one  hundred  and  twenty  persons,  for  planters. 
They  came  to  anchor  under  an  island,  supposed  to 
be  Monhegan,  July  31.     After  exploring  the  coast 


•  This  paper  is  now  printed  for  the  first  time  in  the  appendix. 

'  A  copy  of  this  rare  work  is  in  the  possession  of  General  Peter  Force,  of 
Washington  City. 
'  See  Poor's  "Vindication." 

*  Note  by  R.  H.  Major,  editor  of  Strachey's  "  Travaile  into  Virginia,"  p. 
27,  published  by  the  Hakluyt  Society — one  of  the  volumes  of  its  series. 
Hubbard's  "  History  of  Massachusetts  Bay,"  p.  lo. 


of 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    367 

and  islands,  on  Sunday,  Angiist  0,  1607,  they  landed 
on  an  Island  tliey  called  St.  (xeorge  ;  where  they  heard 
a  sermon,  delivered  nnto  them  by  Mr.  Seymonr,  their 
preacher,  and  so  return(Hl  aboard  again.  On  Angust 
15  they  anchored  under  Seguiii,  and  on  that  day 
the  Gift  of  God  got  into  the  river  of  Sagadahoc. 
August  16,  after  a  severe  storm,  both  ships  got 
safely  in  and  came  to  anchor.  The  seventeenth,  in 
two  boats,  they  sailed  up  the  riv^er — Captain  Popham 
in  his  pinnace,  with  thirty  persons,  and  Captain  Gil- 
bert in  his  long-boat,  with  eighteen  j^ersons,  and 
"found  it  a  very  gallant  river;  many  good  islands 
therein,  and  many  branches  of  other  small  rivers  fall- 
ing into  it,"  and  returned.  The  "  next  day  they  all 
went  ashore,  and  there  made  a  choice  of  a  place  for 
their  plantation,  at  the  mouth  or  entry  of  the  river,  on 
the  west  side,  (for  the  river  bendeth  itself  towards 
the  nor-east  and  by  east,)  being  almost  an  island,  of 
good  bigness,  in  a  province  called  by  the  Indians, 
*  Sabino  ' — so  called  of  a  Sagamo,  or  chief  command- 
er, under  the  grand  bashaba."  The  nineteenth  they 
all  went  ashore  where  they  had  made  choice  of 
their  plantation,  and  where  they  had  a  sermon  deliv- 
ered unto  them  by  their  preacher,  and  after  the  ser- 
mon the  ^president's  commission  was  read,  with  the 
patent,'  and  the  laws  to  be  observed  and  kept.' 

"  George  Popham,  gent.,  was  nominated  President. 
Captain   Raleigh   Gilbert,   James    Davies,   Richard 

'  By  the  original  charter,  the  company  had  the  right  to  sell  lands,  work 
mines,  coin  money,  transport  thither  colonists,  expel  by  force  all  intruders, 
raise  a  revenue  by  imposts,  carry  out  goods  free  of  duty  to  the  crown,  for 
seven  years,  with  a  denization  of  all  persons  born  or  residing  in  the  country. 

*  A  constituent  code  of  laws  was  prepared,  and  signed  by  King  James,  in 


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368 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


Seymour  Preacher,  Captain  Richard  Davies,  Captain 
Harlowe,  were  all  sworn  assistants ;  and  so  they 
returned  back  again." 

Thus  commenced  the  first  occupation  and  settle- 
ment of  New  England. 

accordance  with  the  provision  to  this  effect  set  forth  in  the  seventh  section 
of  the  charter  of  April  lo,  1606.  Lucas'  "  Charters  of  the  Old  English  Col- 
onies," p.  4. 

This  constituent  code  is  contained  in  two  ordinances,  or  articles  of  instruc- 
tions, from  the  king,  name^>y  : 
I.  Ordinance  dated  November  20,  1606,  appointing 
Sir  William  Wade,        Thomas  Warr,  Esq. ,        Sir  Henry  Montague, 
Sir  Walter  Cope,  Thomas  James,  Esq.,       John  Doddridge,  Esq., 

Sir  Francis  Popham,     Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  John  Eldred,  Esq., 
Sir  George  More,  James  Bagg,  Esq., 

Sir  Thomas  Smith. 


Sir  John  Trevor, 
Sir  William  Romney, 
as  the  Council  of  Virginia. 
This  ordinance  provided  that : 

1.  Each  colony  may  elect  associates,  and  annually  elect  a  president  for 
one  year,  and  assistants  or  councillors  for  the  same  time. 

2.  The  Christian  religion  shall  be  preached  and  observed  as  established 
in  the  realm  of  England. 

3.  Lands  shall  descend  to  heirs  as  provided  by  law  in  England. 

4.  Trial  by  jury  of  twelve  men  in  all  criminal  cases.  Tumults,  rebel- 
lion, conspiracy,  mutiny  and  sedition,  murder,  manslaughter,  incest,  rape, 
and  adultery  only  are  capital  offences. 

5.  In  civil  causes,  the  president  and  council  shall  determine.  They  may 
punish  excesses  in  drunkenness,  vagrancy,  etc. 

6.  All  produce  or  goods  imported  to  be  stored  in  the  magazine  of  the 
Company. 

7.  They  shall  elect  a  clerk  and  treasurer,  or  cape-merchant. 

8.  May  make  laws  needfuland  proper,  consonant  with  the  laws  of  England. 
g.  Indians  to  be  civilized  and  taught  the  Christian  religion. 

10.  All  offenders  to  be  tried  in  the  colony, 

11.  Oath  of  obedience  to  be  taken. 

12.  Records  of  all  proceedings  and  judgments  fully  set  forth  and  pre- 
served, implying  a  right  of  appeal.  In  all  criminal  cases,  magistrates  to 
suspend  sentence  till  opportunity  of  pardon  is  had  by  the  king. 

These  were  the  laws  "  to  be  observed  and  kept." 
11.  Ordinance,  dated  March  9,  1607. 

On  the  recommendation  or  nomination  of  the  Southern  Company,  addi- 
tional members  of  the  Council  of  Virginia  were  appointed. 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    369 

On  a  careful  examination  of  tbis  patent  of  King 
James,  and  of  the  articles,  instructions,  and  orders  by 
him  set  down  for  the  government  of  these  colonies, 
we  are  struck  with  the  sagacity  and  statesmanship 
eveiywhere  evinced  by  the  monarch.  He  rose  supe- 
rior to  the  notions  of  his  times,  reduced  the  number 
of  capital  offences  to  ten,  and  declared  none  should 
be  capital  but  the  more  gross  of  political  and  the 
more  heinous  of  moral  crimes.  He  gijv:;  them  all 
the  liberties  they  could  desire.  In  the  subsequent 
chartei-s  for  Virginia  and  New  England,  the  same 
broad  principles  of  self-government  were  in  the  main 
re-enacted.  In  the  contests  with  the  king  and  Par- 
liament of  England,  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
later,  the  colonists  only  demanded  their  ancient 
riglits,  as  subjects  of  the  British  crown.  From 
August  19,  O.  S ,  1607,  the  title  of  England  to  the 
New  World  was  maintained.  At  this  place  they 
opened  a  friendly  trade  with  the  natives,  put  up 
houses,  and  built  a  small  vessel  during  the  autumn 
and  winter. 

Richard  Bloome,  in  his  "  History  of  the  Present 
State  of  the  Territories  in  America,"  printed  in  Lon- 
don, 1687,  says: 

"  In  the  year  1607,  Sir  John  Popham  and  others  settled  a 
plantation  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Sagadahoc.  But  Capt. 
James  Davis  chose  a  small  place,  almost  an  Island,  to  sit  down 
in,  when,  having  heard  a  sermon,  read  the  patent  and  laws  ; 
and  after  he  had  built  a  fort,  sailed  further  up  the  river.  They 
call  the  fort  St.  George,  Capt.  George  Popham  being  President ; 
and  the  people  (savages)  seemed  to  be  much  affected  with  our 
men's  devotion,  and  would  say  King  James  is  a  good  King, 
and  his  God  a  good  God  ;  but  our  God,  Tanto^  is  a  naughty 


i".i 


: " 


370 


FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


God.  In  January,  in  the  space  of  seven  hours,  they  had 
thunder,  lightning,  rain,  frost,  and  snow  all  in  very  great 
abundance." 

On  the  5th  of  February,  1608,  George  Popham 
died,'  and  his  remains  were  deposited  within  the  wall 
of  his  fort,  which  was  named  Fort  St.  George.  It 
is  well  known  that  the  Popham  Colony,  or  a  por- 
tion of  them,  returned  to  England  in  1608,  with 
the  ship  they  had  built  on  this  peninsula,  the  first 
specimen  of  naval  architecture  constructed  on  this 
continent,  named  the  Virginia  of  Sagadahoc. 

But  this  possession  of  the  Popham  Colony  proved 
sufficient  to  establish  the  title.  The  revocation  of 
the  charter  to  De  Monts  gave  priority  to  the  grant 
of  King  James,  covering  the  same  territory,  and 
this  formal  act  of  possession  wae  ever  after  upheld, 
by  an  assertion  of  the  title  by  Gorges.  It  was  suffi- 
cient, effectually,  to  hold  the  country  against  the 
French   and    Spaniards   alike."      When   Argall,  in 

'  Prince's  "  New  England  Chronology,"  p.  ii8  ;  Brodhead's  "  History  of 
New  York." 

*  The  Spanish  Secretary  of  State  in  1612  and  1613  complained  to  King 
James  for  allowing  his  subjects  to  plant  in  Virginia  and  Bermuda,  as  the 
country  belonged  to  Spain,  by  the  conquest  of  Castile,  who  acquired  it  by  tlie 
discovery  of  Columbus,  and  the  Pope's  donation  ;  to  which  Sir  Dudley  Carle- 
ton,  Secretary  of  State,  by  order  of  King  James  made  answer  :  "  Spain  has 
no  fossfssions  north  of  Florida.  They  belong  to  the  crown  of  England  by 
right  of  discovery  and  actual  possession  by  the  two  Englisk  colonies  thither 
deducted,  loliereof  the  latter  is  yet  there  remaining.  These  countries  should 
not  be  given  over  to  the  Spanish." 

"  Cal.  of  Col.  State  Papers,"  vol.  i.,  p.  14,  Nos.  28  and  2q  ;  also  page  16, 
Nos,  31  and  32, 

In  the  memorials  of  the  English  and  French  Commission  concerning  the 
limits  of  Nova  Scotia  or  Acadia,  under  the  Treaty  of  Utrecht,  the  French 
Commissioners  say :  "  The  Court  of  France  adjudged  that  they  had  the  righ^ 
te  extend  the  western  limits  of  Acadia  as  far  as  the  River  Kinnibequi  "  (p. 
39).  On  page  98  of  the  same  collections  it  says:  "Chief-Justice  Popham 
planted  the  colony  of  Sagadahoc." 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    371 


Si 


1613,  destroyed  the  French  settlement  at  Mount 
Desert,*  the  French  Minister  demanded  satisfaction 
at  the  hands  of  the  British  nation.'  But  no  notice  was 
taken  of  this  demand,  because  the  French  could  show 
no  claim  of  title.  Again  in  1624,  M.  Tillieres,  the 
French  ambassador,  claimed  the  territory  of  New 
England  as  a  portion  of  New  France,  and  proposed 
to  yield  all  claim  to  Virginia,  and  the  country  as  far 
south  as  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  overlooking  entii-ely 
the  title  of  Spain  to  Florida,  which  had  always 
been  recognized  as  extending  to  the  thirty-third 
parallel  of  north  latitude.  France  had  at  this  time 
become  aware  of  the  importance  of   securing  the 


The  English 


'  Mount  Desert  was  so  named  by  Champlain  in  1605 
named  it  Mount  Mansell,  in  honor  of  Sir  Robert  Mansell,  the  highest  naval 
officer  of  England,  one  of  the  grantees  of  the  Virginia  Company  of  1609, 
and  of  the  New  England  Company  in  1620.  But  it  has  retained  the  name 
of  Mount  Desert.  It  has  always  been  celebrated  for  the  excellence  of  Its 
harbor  and  the  boldness  of  its  shores.  It  is  the  most  celebrated  locality  on 
the  Atlantic  coast,  and  one  of  the  three  great  harbors  of  the  continent.  The 
French  Jesuits,  who  settled  there  in  1613,  called  it  St.  Saviour.  Their  pre- 
cise place  of  settlement  is  described  in  the  "  Relations  of  the  Jesuits,"  vol.  i., 
pp.  44,  46. 

What  is  of  still  more  interest  is  the  fact  that  this  was  the  easternmost  limits 
of  Mavosheen,  or  of  the  English  discoveries  up  to  i6og.  See  Purchase,  vol.  iv., 
p.  1873.  L'Escarbot,  the  historian  of  New  France  and  of  De  Monts' expedi- 
tion, says  the  Sagamo  Marchin  was  residing  at  their  next  place  west  of  Kin- 
nibepui,  and  they  named  the  place  Marchin,  (Portland),  in  honor  of  him. 
Marchin  was  slain  in  1607,  and  Bessabes  was  chosen  captain  in  his  place. 
Bessabes  was  slain  also,  and  then  Asticou  was  chosen  in  his  stead.  Accord- 
ing to  the  statement  of  Purchase,  vol.  iv.,  pp.  1873-4,  at  the  easternmost  part 
of  Mavosheen,  at  the  river  of  Quibiquesson,  dwelt  Asticou.  In  1613,  Asticou 
was  dwelling  at  Mount  Desert,  and  the  assurance  given  by  his  followers  to 
Fathers  Biard  and  Masse  of  his  being  sick  and  dessirous  of  baptism  at  their 
hands,  led  them  to  go  thither,  and  finally  to  yield  to  entreaties  for  making 
their  settlement  there,  instead  of  at  Kadesquit  (Kenduskeag,)  Bangor,  on  the 
Penobscot,  as  they  had  agreed  in  i6ii.  It  would  seem  from  these  facts  that 
the  authority  of  Asticou  extended  from  Mount  Desert  to  the  Saco,  the  river 
of  the  Sagamo  Olmouchin. 

'  "  Calendar  of  Colonial  State  Papers,"  vol  i.,  p.  15. 


i 


37«        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 


title  and  possession  of  these  shores.'  King  James 
called  on  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  to  prepare  a  reply 
to  the  claims  of  the  French  monarch.  "  Whereunto," 
says  Gorges, "  I  made  so  full  a  reply  (as  it  seems)  there 
was  no  more  heard  of  their  claim." '  From  the  abstract 
of  this  reply,  recently  piinted  in  the  Calendar  of 
British  State  Papers,  it  would  seem  that  no  notice 
was  taken  of  the  Leyden  flock,  who  were  then  at 
Plymouth ;  but  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  based  the 
claim  of  his  government  on  the  ground  of  the  char- 
ter of  1606,  and  the  fonnal  occupation  of  the  coun- 
try under  it,  with  a  continued  claim  of  title. 

In  1631,  Champlain, — the  greatest  mind  of  his 
nation  ever  engaged  in  colonial  enterprise,  the  bold- 
est and  most  wary  of  all  his  countrymen,  second 
only  to  Gorges  in  the  results  he  achieved, — in  his 
memoir  to  his  sovereign,  as  to  the  title  of  the  two 
nations,  says:  "King  James  issued  his  charter 
twenty-four  years  ago,  for  the  country  from  the 
thirty-third  to  the  forty-fifth  degree.  pJngland  seized 
the  coast  of  New  France,  where  lies  Acadia,  on 
which  they  imposed  the  name  of  New  England."  ^ 

The  Dutch  West  India  Company,  in  their  address 
to  the  States  General,  1632,  say:  "  In  the  year  1606, 
his  Majesty  of  Great  Britain  granted  to  his  subjects, 
under  the  names  of  New  England  and  Virginia, 
north  and  south  of  the  river  (Manhattoes),  on  ex- 
press condition  that  the  companies  should  reiriain  one 
hundred  miles  apart.     Whereupon  the  English  be- 

'  "  Cal.  of  Col.  State  Papers,"  vol.  i.,  p.  60. 
'  Gorges'  **  Brief e  Narration,"  p.  40. 
»  "  N.  Y.  Doc.  Hist.,"  vol.  ix.,  p.  112. 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    373 


gan,  about  the  year  1607,  to  settle  by  the  river  of 
Sagadahoc.  The  English  place  New  England 
between  the  forty-first  and  forty-fifth  degrees  of 
north  latitude." ' 

In  Garneau's  Histoiy  of  Canada,  speaking  of  the 
destruction  of  Mount  Desert  and  Port  Royal  in  1613, 
he  says :  "  England  claimed  the  territory  to  the  forty- 
fifth  degree  of  north  latitude."  This  Wiis  seven  years 
before  the  date  of  the  New  England  charter.  This 
claim  was  founded  on  possession ;  for  Old  England 
stoutly  maintained,  from  the  time  of  Elizabeth  on- 
ward, that  without  possession  there  was  no  valid 
title  to  a  newly  disco /ered  country. 

This  view  of  history  is  overlooked  by  Puritan 
writers,  and  those  who  follow  their  authority.  That 
protection  of  the  British  nation  which  enal)1ed  the 
Puritans  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  the  humble  fol- 
lowers of  Robinson,  to  establish,  unmolested,  homes 
in  the  New  World,  under  organized  forms  of  govern- 
ment, was  grudgingly  acknowledged  by  them ;  and 
the  man  who  secured  to  them  these  blessings,  and 
watched  over  them  with  the  same  jealous  care  as  of 
his  own  colony,  they  always  stigmatized  as  their  great 
enemy ;"  because,  among  other  acts  of  humanity,  he 
allowed  the  mild  and  conscientious  men,  who  could 
not  yield  implicit  obedience  to  their  fierce  doctiines 
and  more  barbarous  laws,^  to  escape  into  Maine,  and 

»  ••  Holland  Doc.  N.  Y.,"  p.  61. 

•  Winthrop,  vol.  ii.,  p.  14  ;  Bradford's  "  History  of  Plymouth,"  p.  328. 

*  None  but  church  members  shall  be  allowed  the  privileges  of  freemen. 
— Statute  of  1631,  "  Massachusetts  Colony  Laws,"  p.  117. 

Any  attempt  to  change  the  form  of  government  is  punishable  with  death. 
—Statute  of  1641,  "  Col.  Laws,"  p.  59. 


'Ill' 


4 


374       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  JVA  Y. 


there  remain  unharmed.  When  Cromwell  granted 
to  Sir  Thomas  Temple  the  country  east  of  the  Saga- 
dahoc, at  the  time  that  the  persecution  of  the 
Quakers  was  at  its  greatest  height,  with  the  design 
of  affording  them  a  place  of  refuge  beyond  the  limits 
even  of  the  Province  of  Maine,'  which  had  just  been 
conquered  by  violence ;  the  anger  of  Massachusetts 
Puritans  fell  upon  the  head  of  the  Protector,  himself 
a  Puritan,  and  an  Independent  of  the  strictest  sect  at 
home.  But  time  allows  no  allusion  to-day  to  historic 
details,  except  what  is  essential  to  the  vindication  of 
the  truth  of  history.  The  fact  that  August  19> 
Old  Style,  is  the  true  date  of  the  foundation  of  Eng- 
land's title  to  the  continent,  is  all  we  are  called 
upon  to  establish. 

It  may  be  said  that,  in  giving  this  prominence  to 
the  occupation  of  the  country  by  the  colony  of 
Popham,  we  overlook  other  events  of  importance  in 
establishing  the  English  title — the  possession  of  the 


Absence  from  meeting  on  Sunday,  fast,  or  thanksgiving,  subjected  the 
offender  to  a  fine. — "  Col.  Laws,"  p.  103. 

Keeping  or  observing  Christmas  was  punishable  by  fine. — "  Col.  Laws," 
p.  119. 

Wages  to  be  regulated  in  each  town  by  vote  of  the  freemen  of  each. — 
"Col.  Laws,"  p.  156. 

Baptists  are  to  be  punished  by  banishment. — "Col.  Laws,"  1646,  p.  120. 

Quakers  to  be  imprisoned  and  then  banished,  on  pain  of  death  if  they  re- 
turned.—"  Col.  Laws,"  1658.  p.  123. 

Witches  shall  be  put  to  death. — "  Col.  Laws,"  1641,  p.  59. 

Magistrates  shall  issue  warrants  to  a  constable,  and  in  his  absence  to  any 
person,  to  cause  Quakers  to  be  stripped  naked  from  the  middle  upward,  tied 
to  a  cart's  tail,  and  whipped  from  town  to  town  till  conveyed  out  of  our 
jurisdiction. — "Col.  Laws,"  p.  125. 

Under  these  laws  Baptists  had  their  ears  cropped  in  Boston  as  late  as 
1658,  and  Quakers  were  put  to  death. 

•  "  N.  Y.  Doc.  Hist.,"  vol.  ix.,  pp.  71,  75. 


in 

■1 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    375 

Elizabeth  Isles  by  Gosiiold  in  1602,  aud  the  settle- 
ment of  Jamestown  May  13,  1607,  prior  to  the 
landing  of  the  Pophani  Colony  at  Sagadahoc.  In 
reference  to  the  occupation  of  Elizabeth  Isles  by 
Gosnold,  it  is  sufficient  to  say,  that  it  was  piior 
to  the  date  of  the  Royal  Charter,  and  consequently 
of  no  legal  effect  in  establishing  title.  As  to  the 
settlement  of  Jamestown,  it  was  south  of  the  fortieth 
parallel  of  latitude,  and  therefore  did  not  come  in 
conflict  with  the  French  king's  prior  charter  to  De 
Monts.  The  teriitory  between  the  fortieth  and  the 
forty-fifth  degrees  only  was  in  dispute.  Although 
the  maps  of  the  time  made  New  France  to  extend 
from  the  thirty-third  to  the  fiftieth  degree  of  north 
latitude,  France  practically  abandoned  the  country 
south  of  the  fortieth  degree  from  the  time  of  the 
grant  of  the  charter  to  De  Monts ;  so  that  below  that 
line  south  it  was  open  to  any  people  who  might 
have  the  courage  to  possess  it ;  this  south  line  of  De 
Monts'  grant,  intersecting  what  is  now  Pennsylvania, 
just  north  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  cuts  Ohio, 
Indiana,  and  Illinois  very  nearly  in  their  centre. 
Had  there  been  no  English  settlement  or  occupancy 
north  of  the  fortieth  parallel  of  latitude  prior  to 
1610,  when  Poutrincourt  obtained  a  new  grant  of 
Acadia,  the  whole  countiy  north  of  that  line  must 
have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  French. 

The  reason,  undoubtedly,  why  France  at  this 
time  extended  her  claims  no  further  south  than  the 
fortieth  parallel  was  a  fear  of  exciting  the  jealousy 
and  hostility  of  the  Spaniards.  In  1562,  when  Ribaut 
and  Laudonniere  planted  at  Port  Royal,  Spain  looked 


376       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


upon  it  as  an  invasion  of  her  just  domain,  and 
promptly  expelled  the  French  invaders.  Recent  dis- 
coveries show  that  she  watched  with  a  most  jealous 
eye  the  fate  of  the  earlier  voyages  of  Cartier  from 
1534  to  1541.  Spain,  at  that  time,  was  the  great 
military  and  naval  power  of  Europe.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  that  the  limiting  of  De  Monts'  charter  to 
the  fortieth  parallel  of  latitude,  seven  degrees  short 
of  all  her  previous  claims,  was  induced  by  a  dread 
of  Spanish  interference.  Sjmnish  jealousy  showed 
itself  equally  in  opposition  to  the  English  occupa- 
tion of  the  country;  but  the  prompt  assertion  in 
1613  of  their  title,  averring  the  actual  occupation  of 
the  country;  and  the  denial,  on  the  part  of  King 
James,  of  any  validity  in  the  bull  of  the  Pope,  up- 
held the  right  of  England.  It  was  not  Sp&in,  how- 
ever, but  France  that  became  the  actual  competitor 
of  England  in  the  struggle  for  the  new  dominion. 
The  relations  of  S[)ain  and  France  were  friendly. 
Between  Spain  and  England  there  were  many  irrita- 
tions, and  so  far  had  this  ill-feeling  grown,  that  the 
capture  of  English  ships  by  Spanish  cruisers  was 
not  an  uncommon  occurrence,  as  in  the  case  of  Chal- 
lons,  and  others  bound  to  New  England  for  purposes 
of  colonization.  The  French,  therefore,  made  no 
claim  to  that  Virginia  occupied  by  the  colony  at 
Jamestown,  while  Spain  claimed  the  whole  country. 
French  plans  of  empire  looked  northwai'd  and  west- 
ward; resting  their  base  on  the  great  inland  sea,  or 
gulf  lying  iiiside  Cape  Sable  and  Cape  Cod,  where, 
for  a  whole  century  previous,  from  1504,  and  on- 
ward, their  fishermen  had  found  the  choicest  treasures 


1 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    377 


of  the  ocean.  Whoever  held  this  region,  as  all  now 
see,  must  eventually  become  the  dominant  power  of 
the  New  World. 

The  national  feeling  was  not  fully  aroused  in 
either  country  to  the  greatness  of  the  prize  at  stake. 
Champlain  comprehended  the  true  measure  of  the 
occasion,  and  its  importance  to  his  country ;  while 
Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  with  e({ual  grasp  of  intellect, 
rested  on  a  more  secure  foundation — the  confidence  of 
his  sovereign.  But  the  people  of  England  were  in- 
capable of  estimating  the  value  of  the  prize,  or  doing 
justice  to  the  man  who  secured  it.  In  the  debate  in 
the  House  of  Commons,  in  1621  and  1G22,  on  the 
bill  to  abrogate  or  annul  the  New  England  charter, 
and  throw  open  the  fisheries,  briefly  reported  in  the 
parliamentary  journals,  the  issue  was:  "  Which  is  of 
most  value,  fishing  or  plantations?  "  and  the  result 
showed  that  the  enemies  of  colonization  were  in  the 
ascendant,  and  a  bill  to  this  effect  passed  the  House. 
By  the  influence  of  the  King  acting  with  the  Lords, 
it  was  prevented  from  becoming  a  law.' 

From  the  time  of  the  first  conflict  at  Mount  Desert, 
where  Father  Du  Tliet  was  killed  in  defending  his 
home,  in  1613 — the  first  shedding  of  blood  between 
the  French  and  English  on  this  continent, — till  the 

•  April  19,  1621,  "  Mr.  Neale  said  three  hundred  ships,  at  least,  had  gone 
this  year  from  these  ports,"  p.  591.  November  20,  1621,  "  Mr.  (Jlanville 
moved  to  speed  the  bill,"  etc.  "  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  hath  exhibited 
patent,"  etc.  "Friday  next  Sir  F.  G.  to  be  heard,"  p.  640.  Decemlier  i, 
1621,  bill  under  consideration.  "  Mr.  Guy  moves  a  provision  ;  debate  by 
Mr.  Neale,  Mr.  Secretary,  Dr.  Gooch,  Sir  Edward  Gyles,  Mr.  Guy,  ami 
Shewell,  which  is  of  most  value,  fishing  or  plantations?"  ;^i2o,ooobroiir;ht 
in  annually  by  fishing."  "  Provision  lost.  Bill  passed,  p.  654. — ExtracUi 
from  the  "  Journal  of  the  Commons." 


I 


i 


378        FJRST  INTERxYA  TIONAL  KAIL  \VA  Y. 


full  of  Quuljoc,  ill  1759,  and  the  Treaty  of  Peuco 
consuciiUMit  tluToon,  in  17G3,  sunvinlering  New 
France*  to  (treat  Britain,  there  was  a  .strife  of  races, 
of  nationalitieH,  and  of  religion  f<>K  the  territory  of 
New  England  ;  while  Virginia,  along  the  Atlantic 
8h)pe,  was  never  molested  by  the  FrcMich.  The 
western  boundaiy  of  Virginia  was  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
and  she  came  into  conflict  with  France  when  she 
crossed  the  Alleghanies  and  descended  into  the 
Mississipi)!  basin,  and  there  met  the  French  settlers, 
who  had  seized  upon  the  western  waters,  claiming  a 
continuous  possession  of  the  entire  regions  <liaiiied 
by  the  watei-s  of  the  Mississi[)pi  and  the  St.  Law- 
rence. Had  England  acquired  nothing  in  the  way 
of  title  in  the  New  World  north  of  the  fortieth  par- 
allel prior  to  the  Plymouth  Plantation  in  1G20,  there 
is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  France  would  have  swept 
the  British  power  from  the  continent  at  the  first 
clash  of  arms  with  Great  Britain.  It  was  this  pos- 
session of  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  within 
the  limits  of  the  fortieth  and  forty-fifth  degrees  of 
north  latitude,  prior  to  1610,  that  settle<l  the  future 
destiny  of  the  continent  of  North  America.  The 
consummation  of  title,  therefore,  perfected  by  the  act 
of  possession  of  August  19,  O.  S.,  1607,  by  the  Pop- 
ham  Colony  (whose  two  hundred  and  fifty-fifth 
anniversary  we  this  day  celebrate),  must,  if  these 
premises  are  admitted,  forever  remain  the  great  fact 
in  the  history  of  the  New  World. 

The  Maine  Historical  Society,  whose  duty  it  is 
made,  by  the  charter  establishing  it,  "  to  collect  and 
preserve  whatever  may  tend  to  explain  and  illustrate 


1" 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    379 


the  civil,  I'tujlesiasticul,  hikI  natural  liistoiy  of  this 
State  and  the  United  States,"  waH  pUuised  to  approve 
of  the  act  of  two  of  its  nieinhers,  then  in  the  service 
of  the  state,  who  petitioned  the  authorities  of  the 
general  government,  that  this  great  W(»rk  of  national 
defence,  tlien  about  to  be  undertaken,  should  be 
named  Fort  Popham,  in  honor  of  George  Pophani,  the 
governor,  who  led  the  tirst  IJritish  colony  into  New 
England,  under  the  charter  of  April  10,  100C;and 
who,  dischai'ging  the  duties  of  his  office  as  presi- 
dent, and  presenting  a  report,  in  the  form  of  a  letter, 
to  the  king,  dated  at  Fort  St.  George,  I)ecend)er  13, 
1007,'  here  laid  down  \\\a  life — ilu-  first  man  of  the 
English  race  whose  bones  were  laid  beneath  the  soil 
of  New  England.  The  veneral  1e  Cliief  of  ^^e  Engi- 
neer Bureau  of  the  United  blates  Ariuy,  to  whom 
this  petition  was  referi'e<l,  ever  jcih  ;is  of  the  honor 
of  his  country,  not  only  as  to  the  character  of  its 
military  structures,  but  as  to  the  nanu^s  to  whose 
honor  they  should  attest,  pi'omptly  endorsed  the 
application ;  and  it  met  the  ready  approval  of  ihe 
Secretary  of  War.  To  mark,  with  greater  distinct- 
ness, the  event  thus  commemorated,  the  Alaine  His- 
torical Society  asked  permission  to  place  within  the 
walls  of  this  fort  a  memorial  stone,  bearing  on  its 
face  an  appropriate  inscription  of  the  event ;  and  a 
tablet,  in  memory  of  George  Popham,  so  honorably 
associated  with  the  great  event  of  that  i)eriod. 

By  the  favor  of  the  government  we  have  this  day 
performed  that  duty,  with  ai)propriate  form  and 
ceremony.      The   learned   president   of   the   Maine 

'  Popham's  letter  in  the  "  Maine  Hist.  Coll.,"  vol.  v.,  p.  341. 


i 


38o       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 

Historical  Society  has  announced  the  historic  facts 
on  which  this  somewhat  novel  proceeding  has  taken 
place.  The  accomplished  and  honored  chief  magis- 
trate of  the  state  has  given  to  the  occasion  the  influ- 
ence of  his  official  station,  and  the  more  acceptable 
service  of  eloquent  words,  proclaiming  the  import- 
ance of  the  event  commemorated,  upon  the  history 
of  tlie  country  and  the  world  ;  while  the  Episcopal 
bishop  of  the  diocese  of  Maine,  and  the  president  of 
our  oldest  seminary  of  learning,  as  chairman  of  the 
Standing  Committee  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society, 
have  jointly  participated  in  the  appropriate  services 
of  this  occasion  ;  and  that  most  ancient,  the  Masonic 
Fraternity,  has  lent  to  the  celebration  whatever  of 
dignity  or  grace  the  wisest  of  their  Order  have  been 
able  to  embody  in  artistic  form  and  expression. 
With  the  consent  of  the  government,  these  imposing 
ceremonies  have  proceeded,  and  finally  the  skilful 
hand  of  him  who  is  charged  with  the  construction 
of  this  fort,  will  place  this  stone  in  its  final  resting- 
place;  for  the  information  of  those  who  come  after 
us,  proclaiming  to  future  times,  in  the  simple  elo- 
quence of  truthful  words,  that 

The  First  Colony 

On  the  Shores  of  New  England 

Was  Founded  Here, 

August  19,  O.   S.,   1607, 

under 

George  Popham. 

It  would  ill  comport  with  the  dignity  of  this 
occasion  to  fail  to  speak  of  him  whose  name  is  thus 
imperishably  connected  with  the  history  of  our  state 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    381 


and  nation.  To  his  family  and  the  events  of  his  life 
others  may  more  appropriately  refer.  We  allude  to 
him  as  a  public  man,  and  to  his  claims  to  public 
gratitude  and  respect.  His  chief  distinction  is,  that 
he  was  one  of  the  eight  persons  named  in  the  great 
charter  of  April  10,  1606;  and  that  he  led  to  these 
shores  the  first  colony  under  that  charter.  In  it  he 
is  styled  gentleman,  and  he  must  have  been  a  man  of 
consequence  and  position,  from  the  fact  that  he  was 
one  of  its  grantees.  After  his  death,  Gorges  in  a  few 
beautiful  lines  thus  sums  up  his  character:  "He 
was  well  stricken  in  years,  and  had  long  been  an 
infirm  man.  Howsoever,  heartened  by  hopes,  Avilling 
he  was  to  die  in  acting  something  that  might  be  ser- 
viceable to  God,  and  honorable  to  his  country." '  A 
glorious  consummation  of  a  long  life,  devoted  to 
duty,  to  his  country,  and  his  God. 

Inside  the  walls  of  this  fort,  and  as  a  companion- 
piece  to  the  memorial  stone  which  recoi'ds  the  historic 
fact  of  this  day's  celebration,  the  Maine  Historical 
Society  will  place  a  tablet  in  memory  of  George 
Popham ;  expressing,  in  that  sonorous  Latin  language 
which  he  employed  in  his  communication  to  the 
king,  and  which  was  at  that  time  used  by  all  who 
wrote  for  enduring  fame,  these  words : 

In  Memoriam 
GEORGII    POPHAM, 

Angliae  qui  primus  ab  oris 

Coloniam  collocavit  in  Nov.  Angliae  terris, 

Augusti  mense  annoque  MDCVII. 

Leges  literasque  Anglicanas 

Et  fidem  ecclesiamque  Christi 

•  Gorges'  "  Briefs  Narration,"  p.  33  ;  vol.  ii.,  "  Maine  Hist.  Coll." 


1!'!^ 


•I  I'' 


:ni 


fl 


I 


382       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 

In  has  sylvas  duxit. 
Solus  ex  colonis  atque  senex  obiit 

Nonis  Februariis  sequentibus, 
£t  juxta  hunc  locum  est  sepultus. 

Societate  Historica  Mainensi  auspicante, 

In  praesidio  ejus  nomen  ferente, 

Quarto  die  ante  calendas  Septembres 

Annoque  MDCCCLXII. 

Multis  civibus  intuentibus, 

Hie  lapis  positus  est. 

[translation.] 

In  Memory  of 

GEORGE   POPHAM, 

Who  first  from  the  shores  of  England 

Founded  a  colony  in  New  England, 

August,  1607. 

He  brought  into  these  wilds 

English  laws  and  learning 

And  the  faith  and  the  Church  of  Christ. 

He  only  of  the  colonists,  and  in  his  old  age,  died 

On  the  iifth  of  the  following  February, 

And  was  buried  near  this  spot. 

Under  the  auspices  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society, 

In  the  fort  bearing  his  name, 

August  29,  1862, 

In  the  presence  of  many  citizens, 

This  stone  was  placed. 

This  fort,  so  conspicuously  placed,  bearing  these 
appropriate  testimonials,  thus  becomes  a  fitting 
monument  to  perpetuate  the  events  of  the  early 
history  of  New  England ;  and  to  transmit  to  future 
times  the  memoiy  of  those  illustrious  men  who  laid 
the  foundation  of  English  colonies  in  America ;  to 
which  the  laws,  the  institutions,  and  civilization  of 


11 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NFIV  ENGLAND,    383 

England  were  transferred,  and  from  which  has  sprung 
the  glorious  fabric  of  American  constitutional  gov- 
ernment. 

Standing  here  to-day,  in  sight  of  the  spot  where 
Popham,  two  hundred  and  fifty -five  years  ago,  took 
upon  himself  the  office  of  president,  and  near  the 
place  where,  on  the  fifth  of  February  following,  he 
died ;  it  seems  our  privilege  to  be  admitted  into  his 
presence-chamber,  as  for  the  last  time  he  had  sum- 
moned around  him  his  faithful  assistants  and  com- 
panions, and  gave  commands  for  the  future.  The 
scene  is  worthy  of  a  painter's  pencil  and  a  poet's 
pen.  The  ever-faithful  and  heroic  Raleigh  Gilbert, 
"a  man,"  says  Gorges,  "worthy  to  be  beloved  of 
them  for  his  industry  and  care  for  their  well-being," 
— the  future  president  of  the  colony, — is  by  his  side. 
The  pious  Richard  Seymour  administers  to  him 
words  of  comfort  and  consolation.  Captain  Richard 
Davies  only,  of  all  his  assistants,  was  absent  in  Eng- 
land. His  devoted  companions  stand  around  their 
dying  chief,  when,  in  the  language  of  Israel's  great 
law-giver,  laying  the  burden  of  the  government  on 
Joshua,  he  might  well  say  to  Raleigh  Gilbert: 
"  Be  strong  and  of  good  courage,  for  thou  must  go 
with  this  people  into  the  land  which  the  Lord  hath 
sworn  unto  their  fathers  to  give  them:  and  thou 
shalt  cause  them  to  inherit  it.  And  the  Lord  he  it  is 
that  doth  go  before  thee ;  he  will  be  with  thee,  he 
will  not  fail  thee,  neither  forsake  thee :  fear  not, 
neither  be  dismayed." 

"  So  Moses,  the  servant  of  the  Lord,  died  there,  in 
the  land  of  Moab,  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord. 


I'i 


i  '■! 


3S4       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


And  he  buried  him  in  a  valley  in  the  land  oC  Moab, 
over  against  Bethpeor ;  but  no  man  knoweth  of  his 
sepulchre  unto  this  day." 

In  the  far-distant  future,  not  two  hundred  and 
fifty-five  years  from  this  day,  the  period  of  time  that 
has  intervened  since  his  death,  but  in  that  period  of 
more  than  three  thousand  years  to  come,  like  that 
from  the  death  of  Israel's  law-giver  to  that  of  Pop- 
ham,  these  stones  which  are  here  builded,  shall  mark 
the  place  of  his  sepulture ;  and  the  myriads  of 
thronging  pilgrims,  led  by  eager  curiosity  to  tread 
the  soil  of  this  peninsula  of  Sabino,  hereafter  made 
classic  by  song  and  story,  shall  pause  and  read,  on 
that  memorial  stone,  the  record  of  his  great  work ; 
and  when  we  who  are  now  here  shall  have  passed 
away  and  beyond  the  reach  of  stoiy  or  tradition, 
Popham's  name  shall  live  in  the  history  of  the 
mighty  race  who  have  changed  this  continent  from 
one  vast  wilderness  to  a  marvel  of  refinement  and 
beauty  fitted  for  the  enjoyment  of  civilized  man. 

His  sagacity  and  ability  are  best  evidenced  by  the 
fact  that,  after  the  experiencvj  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty-five  years,  the  highest  military  skill  has  con- 
firmed the  wisdom  of  his  choice  of  a  place  of  settle- 
ment, by  the  adoption  of  it  as  the  proper  site  of  the 
great  work  of  defence  for  the  Kennebec  River.  To 
this  spot  multitudes  shall  annually  repair ;  for  this 
region  will  continue  to  be — what  it  ever  was  to  the 
early  navigators  and  colonists  of  both  France  and 
England — a  chief  point  of  interest.  The  French 
historian  L'Escarbot,  speaking  of  this  river,  says 
"  it  shortened  the  way  "  to  the  great  river  of  Canada.* 

'  L'Escarbot,  p.  497. 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    385 


on 


Gosnold's  landfall,  in  1602,  was  at  Sagadahoc' 
Pring,  in  1603,  made  it  the  chief  point  of  his  dis- 
coveries ;  and  the  great  voyage  of  Weymouth  was 
to  "  the  most  excellent  and  beneficyall  river  of  Saga- 
dahoc." '  Here  the  English  remained  in  1608  and 
1609,  as  related  by  the  French  Jesuits.^  Here  Vines 
pursued  his  vocation,*  and  hither  all  the  fishing 
vessels  came,  because  the  finest  fish  were  taken  in 
this  region.  The  salmon  of  the  Kennebec  are  to 
this  day  known  in  all  our  cities. 

The  Council  of  New  England,  on  July  24,  1622, 
set  apart  "  two  great  islands  in  the  river  of  Sagadahoc 
to  be  reserved  for  the  public  plantation,"  and  "a 
place  between  the  branches  of  the  two  rivers  for 
a  public  cityy  ^  Though  the  strife  of  races  and  of 
nationalities  has  kept  back  the  settlement  of  this 
whole  region,  and  the  still  more  disastrous  conflicts 
of  rival  grants  and  hostile  occupation  destroyed  for 


!.s 


'  Strachey,  Hakluyt  Society  edition,  p.  155  ;  caption  at  the  head  of  the 
chapter.     See  Poor's  "  Vindication  of  Gorges." 

^  Much  controversy  and  discussion  have  arisen  as  to  the  route  of  Wey- 
mouth, and  as  to  the  river  he  explored.  I  find  in  Purchase  a  fact,  not 
alluded  to  by  any  of  these  writers,  that  may  aid  in  solving  the  difficulty. 
John  Stoneman,  of  Plymouth,  who  went  out  with  Weymouth,  in  1605,  sailed 
as  pilot  in  the  ship  Richard,  of  Plymouth,  in  charge  of  Henry  Challons, 
commander,  in  Gorges'  employ,  to  found  the  colony  at  Sagadahoc,  in  1606. 
Nicholas  Hine,  of  Cockington,  near  Dartmouth,  was  master.  Although 
Challons  failed  of  his  object,  by  disregarding  his  instructions,  and  was  taken 
captive  by  the  Spaniards,  his  purpose  of  going  to  Sagadahoc  is  e^p^essly 
stated,  and  his  pilot  was  of  Weymouth's  party  in  1605.  This  discover^  ci 
the  name  of  Hine,  as  master  under  Challons,  also  relieves  us  of  the  difficulty 
in  the  apparent  contradiction  between  Gorges  and  Strachey  ;  the  former  using 
the  name  of  Challons  as  master,  the  latter  calling  the  master's  name  Haines, 
leading  us  to  suppose  there  were  two  several  voyages,  instead  of  one  in  fact. 

•  "  Relations  des  Jesuites,"  vol.  i.,  p.  36. 

♦  Gorges'  "  Briefe  Narration,"  p.  24. 

*  Minutes  of  the  Council  of  New  England,  July  24,  1622. — "  Calendar  of 
Colonial  State  Papers,"  vol.  i.,  p.  32.  13 


■    i 


386        FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


generations  all  plans  of  improvement,  who  shall 
''are  to  say  that  these  plans  shall  not  be  realized  ? 
When  this  Acadian  peninsula,  with  its  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  square  miles  of  teriitory 
and  its  abundant  resources,  shall  contain  a  popula- 
tion equal  to  that  now  peopling  the  Biitisli  Isles, 
this  magnificent  estuar}^,  with  its  deep-sea  soundings, 
discharging  a  larger  volume  of  water  tlian  any  river 
of  the  Atlantic  coast  between  the  St.  John  and  the 
Mississippi,  may  become  the  chief  seat  of  wealth 
and  power  of  the  mighty  race  who  inhabit  the  con- 
tinent,— why  then  may  not  the  history  of  other  lands 
become  ours,  and  another  Liverpool  here  rival  the 
great  commercial  city  of  England ;  and  Boston 
become  to  the  city  of  the  Sagadahoc,  what  Bristol  is 
to  the  great  shipping  poi*t  of  the  Mersey  ? ' 

We  must  not,  in  this  connection,  forget  our  obliga- 
tions to  the  people  of  the  colony  of  Massachusetts, 
and  the  early  settlers  of  Plymouth,  for  their  share  in 
conquering  the  continent  for  our  race,  though  dealing 
harshly  with  Maine."  These  Massachusetts  Puritans 
of  the  Saxon  type,  inheriting  all  the  gloomy  errors 
of  a  cruel  and  bloody  period,  under  the  iron  rule  of 
the  Tudors,  were  ready  to  demand  of  Elizabeth  the 
enforcement  of  the  Act  of  Uniformity  against  Papists, 
but  refused  obedience  to  it  themselves.  Nor  Avould 
they  yield  to  the  decision  of  a  majority  of  the  clergy, 

'  The  extraordinary  advantages  of  Bath  for  a  naval  and  military  depot,  are 
admitted  by  all  military  engineers,  but  no  effort  adequate  to  such  a  con- 
summation has  yet  been  made. 

*  See  petition  of  Edward  Godfrey  and  other  inhabitants  of  Maine,  to  the 
Parliament  of  the  Commonwealth. — "  Cal.  Col.  State  Papers,"  vol.  i.,  p. 
479.  Also,  Godfrey's  letters  in  Mr.  Geo.  Folsom's  "  Catalogue  of  Papers  in 
the  Einglish  State-Paper  Office  in  Relation  to  Maine,"  pp.  52,  54. 


I! 


are 
con- 

o  the 

.,  p. 
ers  in 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    387 

who  in  1562,  in  full  convention,  voted  to  retain  the 
priestly  vestments  and  the  forms  of  liturgy.  While 
agreeing  to  all  the  doctrines  of  its  creed,  they  grew 
restless  under  the  forms  of  the  church  service,  ele- 
vated non-essentials  into  the  dignity  of  principles, 
and  stigmatized  the  Prayer-book  and  the  piiestly 
robes  as  badges  of  Popeiy. 

They  imagined  that  by  a  severe  austerity  they 
secured  the  favor  of  God,  and  became  his  chosen 
people.  They  mistook  their  hatred  of  others  for 
hatred  of  sin.  They  set  up  their  own  morbid  con- 
victions as  the  standard  of  right;  and  rather  than 
submit  to  the  laws  of  their  own  land,  they  endured 
the  penalties,  or  sought  escape  from  them  by  expatrijv 
tion.  Once  planted  on  the  shores  of  New  England, 
the  Puritans  of  Massachusetts  Bay  endeavored  to  ex- 
terminate every  thing  that  stood  in  the  way  of  their 
ambition.'     Hence,  after  their  conquest  of   Maine, 

•  The  charter  of  the  Massachusetts  Company  of  March  4,  1629,  authorized 
them  to  make  laws  and  ordinances  for  their  government,  "  not  contrary  ta 
the  laws  of  England."  Notwithstanding  this  they  proceeded  at  once  to 
frame  a  code  of  laws  designed  for  the  purpose,  abrogating  the  laws  of  Eng- 
land whenever  they  stood  in  the  way  of  their  own  wishes.  The  obvious 
purpose  of  the  charter  was  to  allow  such  minor  regulations  to  be  made  as 
might  meet  the  peculiar  wants  of  the  local  population.  A  similar  provision 
is  inserted  in  charters  in  modern  times,  designed  to  allow  the  recipients  of 
such  grants  to  exercise  their  rights  in  any  way  they  choose,  not  infringing 
any  of  the  general  laws  of  the  state.  These  Puritans  construed  their  grant 
differently  from  all  others,  because  they  designed  to  establish  a  religious 
community  on  a  plan  of  their  own,  discarding  all  portions  of  the  English 
law,  unless  re-enacted  by  themselves.  Their  be-praised  Body  of  Liberties, 
enacted  in  1641,  but  not  printed  till  within  about  thirty  years,  virtually 
abrogated  the  laws  of  England. 

Equally  striking  was  their  claim  to  the  territory  of  Maine.  The  political 
troubles  at  home,  from  1637  to  the  restoration  of  Charles  II.  in  1660,  with- 
drew public  attention  almost  entirely  from  America,  and  it  was  not  till  1676 
that  the  heirs  of  Gorges,  nearly  worn  out  in  the  controversy,  obtained  a  decision 


I  .■!! 


388        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


they  gloried  in  extirpating  every  trace  of  title 
granted  to  others,  making  war  on  whatever  was 
opposed  to  them,  aiming  at  unlimited  despotism. 
Ti-ue,  they  planted  other  men's  fields,  instead  of 
devastating  them,  and  seized  upon  the  territory  of 
others  by  the  same  authority  and  in  the  same  spirit 
as  the  Israelites  drove  out  the  tribes  that  formerly 
possessed  the  valley  of  the  Jordan. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  remind  the  student  of 
American  history  that,  at  the  close  of  the  seven- 
teenth  century,  as  at  the  beginning,  the  two  great 
geographical  divisions  of  English  dominion  on  this 
continent  north  of  the  Delaware,  were  "the  Prov- 
inces of  New  York  and  Sagadahoc."  Such  are  the 
definitions  employed  in  the  grant  of  that  dominion 
by  King  Charles  II.  to  his  brother,  the  Duke  of 
York ;  and  such  are  the  titles  under  which  the  Duke 
of  York  when  he  ascended  the  throne  as  James  II., 
commissioned  his  governor.  Col.  Thomas  Dongan, 
afterwards  Earl  of  Limerick,  to  exercise  authority 
over  these  countries.  In  England,  a  country  of 
precedents,  where  the  law  advisers  of  the  crown 
always  scrupulously  adhered  to  ancient  records  in 
the  preparation  of  official  documents,  such  recogni- 
tion, eighty  years  after  the  death  of  George  Pop- 
in  their  favor  against  usurpations.  Thereupon  March  13,  1677,  for  ;£^i,250 
the  Puritans  purchased  the  title  of  Gorges'  heirs.  Finally  in  1684,  on  scire 
facias,  the  Court  of  Chancery  declared  their  charter  forfeited,  and  thereby 
put  an  end  to  the  Massachusetts  theocracy. 

A  new  charter,  protecting  all  Protest,  iit  Christians  in  the  exercise  of  their 
religion,  was  granted  by  William  and  Mary,  in  1691,  including  the  Colony 
of  Plymouth  and  of  Massachusetts,  the  Province  of  Maine,  and  Sagadahoc, 
under  one  government,  and  Sir  William  Phipps,  a  native  of  Maine,  was 
appointed  Governor. 


!! 


was 


FIRST  COLON IZA  TION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    389 

ham,  is  another  proof,  if  any  were  wanting,  of  the 
legal  establishment  of  EnglancVs  claims  in  these 
latitudes  being  inseparable  from  the  foundation  of 
the  fii*8t  settlement,  which  to-day  we  commemorate. 

To  review,  in  the  most  hurried  manner,  the  events 
affecting  our  race,  that  hjive  transpired  within  the 
two  hundred  and  fifty-five  years  since  it  was  i)lanted 
here,  would  ti'anscend  the  jjroper  limits  of  this  occa- 
sion. Less  than  five  millions  of  people,  at  that  time 
engaged  in  the  ruder  forms  of  labor,  were  shut  up 
in  the  narrow  limits  of  the  Bntish  Isles ;  those  who 
speak  the  English  language  to-day  in  the  two  hemi- 
spheres, hold  dominion  over  one  fifth  of  the  earth's 
surface,  and  govern  one  fourth  of  the  human  species. 
Their  material  greatness  commenced  with  colonizing 
North  America.  Slowly,  patiently,  and  in  much 
suffering  our  fathers  gained  possession  of  this  soil. 
The  title  was  secured  by  the  act  of  possession  of 
the  Popham  Colony.  Others  came  in  to  help  to 
hold  It ;  political  troubles  at  home  favored  emigra- 
tion hither ;  and  one  hundred  years  after  Popham, 
three  hundred  thousand  people  of  the  Saxo-Normau 
race  inhabited  the  then  eleven  existing  colonies. 
During  the  next  sixty  years  they  had  mastered  the 
French,  and  gained  the  Atlantic  slope  from  the  St. 
Lawrence  to  Florida.  Before  the  end  of  the  next 
one  hundred  years  the  same  people  had  grown  into 
the  colossal  Empire  of  the  West,  embracing  thirty- 
four  states,  and  regions  yet  unpeopled  of  still  greater 
extent,  including,  in  all  their  dominions,  a  territory 
equal  to  the  continent  of  Europe,  inhabited  by  more 
than  thirty  millions  of  human  beings,  speaking  one 


i'li 


390       FIRST  INTERNATIONAL  RAILWAY. 


language ;  while  a  new  power  Las  arisen  in  Nortli 
America,  the  Colonial  Empire  of  Great  Britain,  ex- 
tending over  a  larger  but  less  valuable  territory 
than  the  United  States,  and  containing  more  than 
three  millions  of  inhabitants. 

Temporaiy  differences  and  periods  of  alienated 
feeling  will  from  time  to  time  arise,  but  nothing 
can  prevent  the  gradual  and  cordial  union  of  the 
English-speaking  people  of  this  continent  in  every- 
thing essential  to  their  highest  welfare.  Though 
divided  into  various  governments,  each  pui-suiug  its 
own  lawful  ends,  in  obedience  to  that  pnnciple  of 
political  harmony,  that  allows  each  to  revolve,  in  its 
own  appropriate  orbit,  around  its  common  centre ; 
an  enlightened  sense  of  justice,  and  obedience  to  the 
divine  law,  as  the  highest  of  all  good  to  communi- 
ties and  states,  is  the  daily  lesson  of  their  life.  Let, 
then,  each  returning  anniversary  of  this  day's  com- 
memoration draw  closer  and  closer  the  bonds  of  fi-a- 
temal  fellowship ;  and  strengthen  those  ties  of  lineage 
that  shall  gradually  encircle  the  earth,  and  consti- 
tute all  mankind,  of  various  races  and  nationalities, 
one  final  brotherhood  of  nations. 

Two  hundred  and  fifty-five  years  have  sufficed  to 
change  this  wilderness  continent,  as  if  by  enchant- 
ment, into  the  home  of  a  refined  civilization.  Culti- 
vated fields,  clustering  villages,  the  refinements  of 
city  life,  rise  to  our  immediate  view  ;  stretching  from 
this  point  eastward  to  Ascension  Bay,  northward 
to  the  Laurentian  Hills,  southward  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  and  westward  to  the  Pacific  seas ;  where  San 
Francisco,  at  the  Golden  Gate,  at  the  touch  of  the 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    391 


telegraph,  sends  to  us  kiiuUy  greetingH  for  this  hour. 
The  improvenient  in  agricultural  inipleiuents,  the 
wonders  of  the  power-loom  and  the  spinning-jenny, 
the  marvels  of  the  steanwhip,  the  mysteries  of  the 
photograph,  the  magic  of  the  telegraph,  and  the 
omnipotent  power  of  the  locomotive  railway,  have 
since  been  made  our  ever-willinij  ministei's ;  so  that 
man  seems  almost  invested  with  ubi(piity  and  om- 
niix)tence  ;  yet  each  revolving  year  brings  forth  new 
marvels,  till  the  finite  mind  is  overwhelmed  at  any 
attempt  to  forecast  the  future.  And  the  historian 
of  our  race  traces  back  this  development  to  the  two 
fii-st  acts  in  the  gi-eat  drama  of  American  history  by 
which  the  title  of  England  to  the  continent  was 
established :  the  first,  closing  with  the  grant  of  the 
Great  Charter  of  April  10,  1606 ;  the  second,  with 
the  formal  act  of  possession  of  the  New  World  under 
it,  August  19,  O.  S.,  1607,  thereby  making  the  title 
forever  clear  and  unquestionable. 

On  that  day,  and  upon  this  peninsula  of  Sabino, 
was  unfurled  that  proud  flag  that  had  so  long  braved 
the  battle  and  the  breeze  ;  then  our  fathers'  flag — 
and  now  the  flag  of  the  Fatherland, — and  beneath  its 
waving  folds  were  proclaimed,  for  the  first  time,  the 
political  principles  which  lie  at  the  foundation  of 
free  government,  in  ever  memorable  words. 

*'  I  give,"  said  King  James,  "  to  my  loving  subjects, 
liberty  to  settle  Virginia,  in  the  north  of  America, 
between  the  thirty-fourth  and  forty-fifth  degrees  of 
north  latitude.  I  authorize  them  to  transport  thither 
any  of  my  own  people,  or  those  of  other  lands,  and 
appoint  over  them  a  government  of  their  own  choice, 


39*        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  IVA  Y. 


subject  to  my  approval,  according  to  the  laws  of  this 
kingdom.  I  authorize  them  to  work  mines,  coin 
money,  collect  duties  by  imposts,  and  to  exi)el  all 
intruders  therefrom  by  military  force ;  and  I  de- 
clare, that  all  children  born  therein,  and  all  persons 
residing  therein,  are,  and  shall  always  remain,  citi- 
zens, entitled  to  all  the  rights,  privileges,  and  im- 
munities of  the  loyal  subjects  of  the  British  realm. 
And  I  do  further  declare,  that  these,  my  loving 
subjects,  shall  have  the  right  annually  to  elect  a 
President,  and  other  officei's;  that  the  Christian 
religion,  established  in  this  our  kingdom,  shall  be 
therein  preached  and  observed ;  that  lands  shall 
descend  to  heirs,  according  to  the  provisions  of  our 
ancient  laws ;  that  trial  by  jury  of  twelve  men  is 
established  in  all  criminal  cases,  with  u  right  of  par- 
don by  the  King;  that  in  civil  causes  the  President 
and  Council  shall  determine  between  paiiy  and 
party,  keeping  full  records  of  all  proceedings  and 
judgments,  with  a  right  of  appeal  to  the  King  in 
Council ;  that  no  man  shall  be  tried  as  an  offender 
outside  of  the  colony  where  the  alleged  offence  was 
committed ;  and  no  offences  shall  be  capital  except 
tumult,  rebellion,  conspiracy,  mutiny  and  sedition, 
murder,  manslaughter,  incest,  rape,  and  adultery. 
And  I  do  further  declare,  and  ordain,  that  my  loving 
subjects  in  America  shall  forever  possess  and  enjoy 
the  right  to  make  all  needful  laws  for  their  own 
government,  provided  only,  that  they  be  consonant 
to  the  laws  of  England.  And  these,  my  loving  sub- 
jects, shall  be,  and  forever  remain,  entitled  to  the 
protection  of  the  British  crown,  and  I  establish  over 


s 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    393 

them  the  government  of  the  King  of  Great  Britain, 
France,  and  Ireland." 

Thia  charter  of  liberties  was  never  revoked.  It 
was  a  decree  of  univei-sal  emancipation,  and  eveiy 
man  of  any  color,  from  any  clime,  was  by  this  act  of 
King  James  redeemed,  regenerated,  disenthralled, 
the  moment  he  touched  the  soil  of  America,  between 
the  thirty-fourth  and  forty-fifth  degi'ees  of  north  lati- 
tude, and  he  at  once  became  entitled  to  all  the  rights 
of  citizenship — one  hundred  and  fifty  years  before 
the  decree  of  Lord  Mansfield  struck  oif  the  chains 
and  fetters  from  the  African  in  England.  This 
»  'dinance  also  established  the  right  of  the  [)eople 
Iv  self-government,  subject  only  to  the  paramount 
authority  of  the  crown  and  laws  of  England. 
These  solemn  formalities,  unknown  to  any  other 
of  the  eai'^y  colonies,  counselled  by  the  Lord  Chief- 
Justice  of  England,  M'hose  brother,  as  president  of 
the  infant  commonwealth,  planted  on  these  shores 
the  emblems  of  the  authority  of  his  nation  ;  pro- 
claimed in  no  doubtful  accents  to  all  other  nations, 
that  here  the  title  of  England  was  established.  That 
pledge  of  the  protection  of  his  government,  which 
every  Englishman  has  always  felt  when  he  planted 
his  foot  on  any  portion  of  the  empire  of  his  sovereign, 
gave  strength  and  courage  to  this  colony  ;  and  when 
the  humble  settlers  of  Plymouth,  thirteen  years 
later,  impressed  with  their  feet  the  sandy  shoi'es  of 
Cape  Cod,  the  claim  of  England  to  the  country  had 
been  vindicated  and  established  against  the  asserted 
claims  of  both  Spain  and  France. 

The  power  of  England  remained  undisturbed  west 


394 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 


of  Sjigadjilioc,  jiiul  Bouthvvai'd,  till  it  was  finally 
yielded  on  Septend)ei'  8,  1783, — one  hundred  and 
seventy-nix  yeai's  from  the  time  it  was  first  planted, 
— when  all  political  connection  with  Great  Britain 
was  dissolved,  t)n  the  conclusion  of  the  definitive 
treaty  of  peace.  In  announcing  that  fjict.  King 
Georijje  the  Third  said :  "  In  thus  adniittini'  their 
separation  frt)ni  the  Ch'ovvn  of  these  kingdoms,  I 
have  sacrificed  every  consideration  of  my  own  to  the 
wishes  and  opinions  of  my  people.  I  make  it  my 
humble  and  earnest  prayer  to  Almighty  God,  that 
Great  Britain  may  not  feel  the  evils  which  might  re- 
sult from  so  great  a  dismemberment  of  the  em^iire ; 
and  that  America  may  be  free  from  the  calamities 
which  have  formerly  proved,  in  the  mother  C(juntry, 
how  essential  monarchy  is  to  the  enjoyment  of  con- 
stitutional liberty.  Religion,  language,  interest, 
affections  may,  and  I  hope  will,  yet  prove  a  bond  of 
permanent  union  between  the  two  countries.  To 
this  end  neither  attention  nor  disposition  on  my  part 
shall  be  wanting."  Memorable  words,  for  they  admit 
the  national  error. 

But  the  repentance  of  the  king  had  come  too 
late.  The  loyal  subjects  of  King  James  had  planted 
on  these  shores  the  j)rinciple8  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty,  under  his  guidance  and  his  express  authority ; 
and  it  was  not  in  the  power  of  King  or  Parliament, 
after  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  years  of  the  exer- 
cise of  these  rights,  to  reclaim  them  by  force  of  arms. 
It  was  in  defence  of  rights  granted  by  King  James, 
that  our  fathers  took  up  arms  against  the  arbitrary 
nactments  of  King  George  the  Third  and  his  Parlia- 


FIRST  COLONIZATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.    395 


meut,  uiuler  tlie  lead  of  Sii"  George  Grenville,  then 
Firet  Minister  of  the  Crown.  They  defended  u  prin- 
ciple since  laade  universal  in  its  application  in  every 
part  of  tlie  liritish  Colonial  Empire.  They  claimed 
only  tluiir  i-ights  as  loyal  subjects  of  Great  Britain. 
Our  fathers  charged  the  acts  of  oppression,  com- 
mencing in  1708,  and  ending  in  the  Revolution  of 
177C,  on  the  King,  as  the  responsible  head  of  the 
British  government ;  but  the  exact  truth  ha.^  remained 
obscured,  fi'om  want  of  public  access,  till  a  recent 
date,  to  the  state  papers  of  that  period.  If  the  odium 
of  these  acts  shall  justly  fall  on  the  head  of  the 
minister  rather  than  on  tlie  King,  to  what  an  emi- 
nence of  guilt  did  Sir  George  Grenville  attain;  and 
how  different  the  award  of  future  over  cotem2)orary 
times  and  opinions,  as  to  the  claims  to  veneration  of 
the  two  men  of  England  most  intimately  associated 
with  American  affairs ;  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges,  the 
father  of  English  colonization  in  America,  a  private 
citizen,  and  Sir  George  Grenville,  the  highest  officer 
of  state. 

The  mind  of  each  one  present  instinctively  turns 
back  to-day,  over  this  long  line  of  liistory,  pausing 
to  sui'vey,  in  this  broad  sweep,  the  great  epochs  that 
mark  its  progress.  It  lingei's  longest  in  contem- 
plating the  initiatory  steps  that  gave  title  and  pos- 
session to  the  country, — and  delights  to  loiter  here, 
around  this  cherished  spot,  and  recall  to  present 
view  the  deeds  of  Gorges  and  Popham,  and  those 
who  assisted  them  to  transport  hither  the  Saxon 
Norman  race  ;  for  that  race,  planted  on  this  new 
continent,  has  favored  and  illustrated  every  thing 


396        FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


that  tends  to  the  advaucement  of  freedom  aud 
humanity,  whatever  may  have  been  its  occasional 
errors.  AVe  have  established  our  power  as  a  people, 
developed  the  natural  resources  of  our  country,  and 
demonstrated  the  ability  of  our  government  to  resist 
foreign  aggression.  One  further  duty  remains — the 
vindication  of  its  principles  in  reference  to  ourselves. 
Can  a  government,  resting  for  its  strength  and  sup- 
port on  the  consent  of  the  governed,  so  far  maintain 
its  power  as  to  suppress  insurrection  without  weak- 
ening the  safeguards  to  personal  liberty  ?  Can  pop- 
ular elections  fill  the  highest  offices  of  the  state,  and 
insure  that  strength  and  stability  to  the  governm 
that  can  vindicate  its  power  in  times  of  domestic  in- 
surrection, or  open  rebellion,  like  that  now  shaking 
it  to  its  foundations  ? 

Putting  our  trust  in  that  Power  that  alone  can 
save  us,  invoking  that  Arm  that  can  alone  be  stretched 
forth  for  our  deliverance,  we  bow  our  wills  to  the 
Divine  teaching.  What  though  at  this  hour  clouds 
and  darkness  hang  like  a  thick  pall  over  our  country, 
and  in  the  excess  of  our  marvellous  prosperity  we  are 
called  for  a  time  to  self-abasement  and  trial,  the  race 
shall  survive  all  shocks  of  civil  strife  and  of  foreign 
invasion,  and  rise  superior  to  both ;  this  free  govern- 
ment emerge  into  the  full  strength  and  measure  of  its 
giant  proportions  ;  and  "  the  gorgeous  ensign  of  the 
Republic,"  known  and  honored  throughout  the  earth, 
shall  once  more  float  full  and  free,  as  in  former  days, 
over  a  united  and  prosperous  people. 


APPENDIX. 


In  another  place,  reference  is  made  to  a  paper  addressed  to 
the  King,  by  the  Scotch  adventurers.  Reasons  Alledged  for 
Holding  Port  Royal,  which  is  of  so  much  historic  interest 
and  value  that  we  give  the  same  in  full,  copied  from  the  Brit- 
ish  State-Paper  Office,  and  not  heretofore  published.   (1862.) 

PUBLIC  RECORD  OFl<ICE,  LONDON. 
Colonial,  Vol.  5.  No.  102.  t. 

Immediately  about  the  time  that  Columbus  discovered  the 
Isle  of  Cuba,  Sebastian  Chabot  set  out  from  England  by 
Henne  the  seuenth  did  first  discouer  the  continent  of  Ameri- 
ca,  begmning  at  the  Newfoundland,  and  thereafter  going  to  the 
Gulph  of  Canada  and  from  thence  hauing  seene  Cap  Bretton 
all  along  the  Coast  to  Florida,  By  which  discouery  his  Ma"« 
hath  the  title  to  Virginia,  New  England  and  New  Scotland  as 
being  then  first  discouered  by  Chabot  at  the  charges  of  the  K 
of  England. 

The  Preach  after  this  neglecting  the  knowledge  they  had 
thereafter  by  Jaquef  Cartier  of  theriuerof  Canada  as  a  cold 
climate,  or  as  it  may  bee  in  regard  it  was  challenged  as  first 
discouered  by  the  English,  having  a  great  desire  to  possesse 
themselues  in  some  part  of  America,  they  planted  first  a 
Colony  vnder  the  charge  of  Mons'  Villegas  now  i„  Brasill.and 
an  other  vnder  the  charge  of  Mons'  Laudoniere  in  Florida 
from  both  which  they  were  expelled  by  the  Spaniards. 

Then  giving  ouer  all  hope  of  attempting  anything  that  was 
belonging  to  the  Spaniards  and  pressing  by  all  meanes  to  have 
some  interest  m  America,  notwithstanding  that  the  English 
(though  they  were  not  able  to  possesse  the  whole  at  first)  had 

397 


398 


FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  Y. 


possessed  themselves  of  that  continent,  discouered  by  them,  by 
a  Colonie  in  the  South  part  thereof  now  called  Virginia,  and 
by  an  other  in  the  North  part  thereof  now  called  New  Eng- 
land and  New  Scotland  planted  by  Justice  Popham. 

The  French  in  the  time  of  Henry  the  Fourth  vnder  the 
charge  of  Mons'  Poutrincourt  hauing  scene  all  the  coasts  of 
Newengland  and  Newscotland  to  both  which  parts  they  did 
then  beginne  to  claime  right.  They  seated  themselues  in  Port 
Royal,  out  of  which  soone  as  it  was  made  knowne  to  the 
English  they  were  displanted  by  S'.  Samuel  Argall,  as  having 
wrongfully  intruded  themselues  within  those  bounds,  which 
did  belong  to  this  Crowne,  both  by  discouery  and  possession. 

The  remainder  of  this  French  Collony  not  hauing  occasion 
to  bee  transported  to  France,  stayed  still  in  the  Countrie,  yet 
they  were  so  neglected  by  the  State,  not  owning  them  any 
more  and  hardly  supplied  in  that  which  was  necessary  for 
them  by  voluntary  adventurers,  who  came  to  trade  in  hope  of 
their  commodities  in  exchange  of  what  they  brought,  and 
during  the  time  of  King  James  there  was  no  complaint  made 
vpon  S'.  Samuel  Argall  for  hauing  displanted  them,  and  they 
were  now  lately  glad  to  demand  that  protection  from  his  Ma'^ 
which  was  not  afforded  them  from  any  other.  Whereby  it  may 
euidently  appeare  that  his  Ma'"  title  was  thought  good. 
Otherwise  it  is  likely  that  the  French  King,  if  any  wrong  had 
beene  done  unto  him,  would  haue  sought  to  haue  had  the  same 
repaired,  either  by  Treatie  or  otherwise.  But  without  making 
either  any  priuat  complaint,  or  yet  doing  any  publick  Act 
against  the  same,  They  went  next  and  seated  themselues  vpon 
the  Northside  of  the  river  of  Canada  at  Kebeck,  a  place  where- 
unto  the  English  by  a  prpreding  title  might  likewise  haue 
claimed  right.  But  small  notice  was  taken  thereof  till  during 
the  time  of  the  late  warre,  a  Commission  was  giuen  by  his 
Ma**'  to  remoue  them  from  thence,  which  was  accordingly 
performed,  the  place  being  taken  a  little  after  the  peace  was 
concluded,  which  at  that  time  had  not  come  to  the  takers 
knowledge,  and  a  Colonie  of  Scottish  was  planted  at  Port 
Royal,  which  had  neuer  beene  repossessed  nor  claimed  by  the 
French  since  they  were  first  remoued  from  the  same. 


APPENDIX. 


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This  businesse  of  Port  Royal  cannot  be  made  lyable  to  the 
articles  of  the  peace,  seeing  there  was  no  Act  of  hostilities 
comitted  thereby,  a  Colonny  onely  beeing  planted  vpon  his 
Ma'*  owne  ground,  according  to  a  patent  granted  by  his  Ma" 
late  deare  father  and  his  Ma"  self,  hauing  as  good  right  there- 
unto as  to  any  part  of  that  Continent,  and  both  the  patent  and 
possession  taken  thereupon  was  in  the  time  of  his  Ma'"  late 
deare  father,  as  is  set  downe  at  length  in  the  voyages  written 
by  Purchas.  But  neither  by  that  possession  nor  by  the  subse- 
quent plata'on  hath  any  thing  beene  taken  from  the  French 
whereof  they  had  any  right  at  all,  or  yet  any  possession  for  the 
time,  and  what  might  haue  beenc  done  either  before  the  war  re 
or  since  the  warre  without  a  breach  of  peace,  cannot  bee 
justly  complained  vpon  for  being  done  at  that  time. 

After  that  the  Scottish  Colony  was  planted  at  Port  Royal, 
they  and  the  French  who  dwelled  there  hauing  met  with  the 
Commanders  of  the  Natives,  called  by  them  Sagamoes  did 
make  choice  of  one  of  the  cheefe  of  them  called  Sagamo 
Sigipt  to  come  in  name  of  the  rest  to  his  Ma""  for  acknowl- 
edging of  his  title,  and  to  become  his  Ma'^  subjects,  crauing 
onely  to  bee  protected  by  his  Ma""  against  their  enemies, 
which  demand  of  his  was  accepted  by  his  Ma""  who  did 
promise  to  protect  them  as  he  reported  to  the  rest  at  his 
returne. 

Mons'.  La  Tour,  who  was  cheefe  comand'of  the  few  French 
in  that  countrie  beeing  neglected  (as  is  said)  by  his  owne 
Countriemen,  and  finding  his  Ma""  title  not  so  much  as  ques- 
tioned after  theyr  beeing  expelled  from  Port  Royall  and  the 
coming  in  of  the  Scottish  necessary  for  his  securitie  did  come 
along  with  the  same  Sagamo  offring  and  demanding  the  like  in 
name  of  the  French  who  Hue  there,  so  that  his  Ma'"  hath  a  good 
right  to  New  Scotland  by  discouere  by  possession  of  his  Ma'^ 
subjects  by  remouing  of  the  French  who  had  seated  themselves  at 
Port  Royall  and  by  Mons.  La  Tour  the  comander  of  them  there 
his  turning  Tenant  and  by  the  volontarie  turning  tenants  of  the 
rest  to  his  Ma"".  And  that  no  obstacle  might  remaine  the 
very  Sauages  bj'  their  Commissioner  willingly  offering  their 
obedience  vnto  his  Ma'"  so  that  his  Ma"*  now  is  bound  to 


400       FIRST  INTERNA  TIONAL  RAIL  WA  V. 

maintaine  them  both  in  regard  of  his  subjects  that  have  planted 
there  vpon  his  warrant  and  of  the  promise  that  he  made  to  the 
Commissioner  of  the  Natiues  that  came  to  him  from  thence,  as 
he  promised  to  the  Commissioner  of  the  Natiues,  and  as  all  the 
subjects  of  his  Ma'"  ancient  Kingdome  of  Scotland  did  hum- 
bly entreat  at  their  last  conuention,  as  may  appeare  by  a  letter 
to  his  Ma"  from  his  Counsel  to  that  effect. 
indorsed.  Reasons  alleaged  by  the  Scottish  adventurers  for 
the  holding  of  Port  Royal 

Discours 
Concerning  his  Ma**  right  and  title  to  the  port  Royall  and 
whole  Canada,  &c.  9  Sept*  1630. 
Canada. 


END. 


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